Joel Ekstrand was stretchered off with a suspected broken leg during a goalless first half between Championship promotion hopefuls Watford and Ipswich Town.

Both sides looked threatening in the opening stages, and it was the hosts who claimed the first attack as Adlene Guedioura gave his marker the slip and fired over the bar.

Watford were dangerous on the counter and could have broken the deadlock in the 18th minute when Marco Motta whipped in a cross for Troy Deeney to head goalwards, but the Hornets skipper failed to hit the target.

There was bad news for Watford in the 29th minute as Ekstrand landed awkwardly from an aerial challenge and suffered a suspected leg break, an incident that saw the Swede stretchered off to a round of applause.

After a fast-paced opening, the game lost momentum as the break approached, but Luke Varney tested Heurelho Gomes in the Hornets goal with a stinging shot four minutes before the break as the Tractor Boys ended the half on the front foot.