Goals galore as Bournemouth and Watford play out 3-3 draw

Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Watford - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - January 2, 2019 Bournemouth's Callum Wilson in action with Watford's Ben Foster REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

Jan 2 (Reuters) - BOURNEMOUTH 3 WATFORD 3

Bournemouth and Watford produced a frantic flurry of first half goals, with visiting captain Troy Deeney scoring twice, in a 3-3 Premier League draw at the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday.

With the kick-off delayed by 15 minutes because of a fire alarm in the East Stand, the real sparks were produced on the pitch.

Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Watford - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - January 2, 2019 Watford's Ben Foster makes a save during the match REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

Deeney opened the scoring in the 14th minute for eighth-placed Watford with a low header into the bottom corner and made it 2-0 from just inside the area in the 27th.

The Bournemouth fans did not have long to wait for a reply, with Nathan Ake pulling one back in the 34th and Callum Wilson then equalising with a header at the near post three minutes later.

That was just the beginning, with Ken Sema making it 3-2 to Watford in the 39th and Ryan Fraser again equalising in the 40th -- four goals in the space of six minutes.

Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Watford - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - January 2, 2019 Bournemouth's Nathan Ake scores their first goal Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

Watford at least ended an unwanted seven-year sequence of losing their opening game of the New Year while Bournemouth ended the evening in 12th place.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Watford - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - January 2, 2019 Bournemouth's Ryan Fraser scores their third goal REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Watford - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - January 2, 2019 Watford's Ken Sema celebrates scoring their third goal with team mates REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Watford - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - January 2, 2019 Bournemouth's Dan Gosling is shown a yellow card by referee David Coote Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Watford - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - January 2, 2019 Bournemouth's Callum Wilson (not pictured) scores their second goal Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Watford - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - January 2, 2019 Bournemouth's Nathan Ake scores their first goal Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Watford - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - January 2, 2019 Bournemouth's Joshua King in action with Watford's Kiko Femenia REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Watford - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - January 2, 2019 Watford's Tom Cleverley comes on as a substitute to replace Abdoulaye Doucoure REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Watford - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - January 2, 2019 Bournemouth's Joshua King in action with Watford's Ben Foster REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Watford - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - January 2, 2019 Watford's Troy Deeney receives medical attention after sustaining an injury Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Watford - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - January 2, 2019 Bournemouth's Nathan Ake in action with Watford's Gerard Deulofeu Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Watford - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - January 2, 2019 Bournemouth's Steve Cook in action with Watford's Troy Deeney Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Watford - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - January 2, 2019 Watford's Ken Sema scores their third goal past Bournemouth's Asmir Begovic REUTERS/Peter Nicholls