KEITH Treacy made a goalscoring start to life at Burnley to rescue a point on the opening day.

The Clarets were trailing to Craig Forsyth's 45th minute opener when the Republic of Ireland international came off the bench to replace Wade Elliott after the hour, and Mark Yeates doubled Watford's advantage soon after.

But Treacy and fit-again striker Charlie Austin combined to turn the jeers to cheers.

Treacy might have had a debut double after signing from Preston but saw his initial shot go in off Austin, who was making his comeback following surgery on a dislocated shoulder last season.

After making one the winger scored one, towering at the far post to head in Ross Wallace's excellent delivery.

It was a welcome fightback by the Clarets, but manager Eddie Howe will be disappointed to have been in such a predicament.

Chris Iwelumo didn't get a sniff on his return to the club he left in June, but Watford took the lead on the stroke of half-time.

Ross Jenkins' pass found Marvin Sordell, and the lively forward picked out Forsyth, who beat goalkeeper Lee Grant with a downwards header against the run of play.

Burnley looked to bite back in the second half, and brought on Austin for Martin Paterson at half-time.

It wasn't until Treacy was introduced from the bench that the Clarets came to life though.

Watford benefited from a long ball down the middle to make their task harder .

Ben Mee challenged Sordell but the ball fell kindly for Yeates, who beat Grant in a one-on-one before Burnley demonstrated their powers of recovery.

Burnley; Grant, Trippier, Amougou, Mee, Fox; Elliott (Treacy 65), McCann, Marney, Wallace; Paterson (Austin 46), Rodriguez. Not used: Jensen, Edgar and Bartley.

Watford: Loach; Doyley, Mariappa, Taylor, Dickinson; Eustace; Yeates, Jenkins, Forsyth; Iwelumo (Deeney 67), Sordell. Not used: Gilmartin, Mirfin, Mingoia and Massey.

Bookings: Amougou for a foul on Sordell (53); Doyley for a foul on Rodriguez (89).

Attendance: 14,617.

Referee: Mark Brown.