Watford and Preston played out a relatively drab goalless draw in the Championship.
Preston's Andrew Hughes missed a close-range effort just before the break with the best chance of a scrappy first half.
Despite dominating possession, Watford struggled to create any real openings, as Jack Whatmough and Will Keane went close for the visitors.
The point sees Preston drop a place to 10th in the Championship table, seven points off the play-off places, with six games remaining.
Watford stay 14th, nine points off the relegation places and and 16 points off the top six.
Whatmough saw a fifth-minute header from a Preston corner go wide, while Tom Dele-Bashiru, Yaser Asprilla and Jamal Lewis all had early half-chances for the Hornets.