Jack Storer’s injury-time arrow punctured Watford Under-23s’ unbeaten start to the Professional Development League season, as Birmingham City secured an injury-time 2-1 win at Vicarage Road tonight.

The young Hornets moved the ball better than their West Midlands opponents throughout without manufacturing a great deal in front of goal, and their first shot on target would prove a 30-yard stunner from David Sesay to open the scoring with 23 minutes to go.

They were just about good value for that lead, but it would last only a quarter of an hour, with Kyle McFarlane levelling up with a sweetly struck finish of his own from the edge of the Hornets box.

Hayden Mullins’ side did at least look set to continue their bright start into injury time, when lax marking allowed substitute Jack Storer space to pick out the far corner from the edge of the area and give the visitors their first win – and points – of the season.

Mullins had little reason to shuffle his pack after hitting Hull City for six eight days ago, and his squad was identical to the one which had triumphed in the North East, keeping up the young Hornets’ 100-per-cent start to the season.

Sebastian Bassong, who enjoyed an 11-game loan spell at Vicarage Road in 2014/15, was tasked with helping to keep the free-scoring Hornets at bay, something they rarely threatened to continue in the opening stages.

Dion Pereira and Michael Folivi have five goals between them already – and they looked easily the hosts’ most dangerous players in the opening 45 minutes, in a half of few chances to get the 150-plus crowd inside Vicarage Road out of their seats.

They linked up exquisitely for the game’s first chance 11 minutes in, with Pereira peeling off Bassong before shooting past the far post from a tight angle.

With two days left of the transfer window, no prizes for guessing why the 31-year-old Cameroon international was in the Blues’ starting line-up for tonight’s game.

But any would-be suitors may have thought again when he missed a clear header from a Birmingham corner minutes later, with Ronan Hale attempting to pick up the pieces at the far post, only to nod wide of Nathan Gartside’s post.

Watford Under-23s might not be set up to emulate the first-team in terms of formation – but their defending from set pieces proved equally questionable.

Another delivery from the left caused chaos, and allowed Kyle McFarlane time to shoot from the edge of the box, before the sea of defensive bodies cleared his effort away.

Despite that fragility, the hosts were controlling matters in open play, and Charlie Rowan found space 25 yards out before firing just over Jacob Weaver’s bar.

Birmingham’s out-ball was often pumped in the direction of Ronan Hale, but generally to little effect. That changed when the lone striker let a perfect pass bounce into his path before forcing Gartside to tip his low but saveable wide at the near post.

The sweetness of a lead at the interval was close to being realised when, with the final move of the first 45 minutes, when Jakubiak beat Bassong down the middle and was inches away from finding Folivi, who was left with his head in his hands as the half-time whistle blew.

Birmingham rallied after half-time, as you may have expected after a few presumably harsh words from coach Richard Beale, and kept Gartside’s gloves warm with a couple of snap shots from tight angles.

But Watford remained in command, and were close to leading when Jakubiak, who had been quiet most of the night, sold Birmingham captain Wes Harding down the outside, before a near identical low ball to his earlier effort just needed a touch to open the scoring.

That would prove the young stiker’s last meaningful action, as an awkward fall left him in pain following that build-up, and despite receiving treatment and re-entering the field, he was substituted moments later.

Watford pressed on, and did finally find their opener – but out of absolutely nowhere.

Birmingham had given Watford plenty of space in midfield throughout, but had not been punished – until a loose ball fell for Sesay 40 yards out. He took it in his stride, before unleashing an unstoppable dipping drive which had Weaver beaten all ends up.

A game which had passed without major incident looked set to continue in that vain as it entered the closing stages; but any such indication would prove a false alarm.

Nine minutes from time, from a similarly innocuous position to the opener, McFarlane took aim from 20 yards with a shot which left Gartside rooted to the spot as it rocketed into the top corner.

The Blues briefly looked satisfied to settle for a point in the third Professional Development League game of the season, but found the momentum firmly on their side after their superb equaliser.

McFarlane was close to a second himself when a free-kick from deep dropped into his path 10 yards out, only to be thwarted by his fellow goalscorer Sesay’s desperate block.

Captain Harding came even closer from a Birmingham corner, with only Rowan’s clearance off the line keeping his free-header out.

But their persistence would yet be rewarded, with a goal their performance had not earned, but their late persistence had brought about.

A well-worked move down the Birmingham right looked to have been thwarted only for a half-clearance to fall perfectly for substitute Storer. He had a seeming eternity to ready himself to shoot, and pick out the far corner of the goal to leave Gartside helpless, and Watford heartbroken.

There was still time for Williams to deliver a free-kick into the Birmingham area which looked briefly menacing, but it was not quite enough for the Hornets – as their performance over the 90 minutes had proven.

Watford Under-23s: Gartside; Mukena, Rowan, Ryan; Eleftheriou, Stewart (Rogers 74), Charles, Sesay; Pereira (Williams 78); Folivi, Jakubiak (Bradbury 64).

Not used: Lacy, Huja.

Birmingham City Under-23s: Weaver; Harding, Scarr, Bassong (Hutton 59), Cogley; Lakin, O’Keeffe, Bailey; McFarlane, Hale (Storer 70), McDonald (Seddon 76).

Not used: Siviter, McCoy.