Where to start? Six goals in the first half, including four in the space of half a dozen chaotic minutes, provided plenty of drama but not all of it on a night when Troy Deeney accused Dan Gosling of trying “to do Tom Cleverley” and also claimed the referee “bottled it on a few occasions”.

Deeney, who also scored twice and was a handful throughout, is likely to land himself in trouble with those controversial comments, which will go down badly with Bournemouth and also the FA.

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The striker did also admit that Abdoulaye Doucouré, his Watford teammate, was lucky not to be dismissed for an awful challenge on Ryan Fraser in the first half. Doucouré’s studs were high as he recklessly lunged at Fraser, yet the referee decided it was only a yellow-card offence.

Watford were 2-0 up but a couple of goals in the blink of an eye, from Nathan Aké and Callum Wilson, brought Bournemouth level. Although Ken Sema then restored Watford’s lead with his first goal since arriving from Östersund in the summer, Bournemouth quickly equalised again through the excellent Fraser. It was breathless stuff and perhaps not surprising that the second half turned into something of an anticlimax when it came to the goal count.

There was no shortage of incident, though, as Ben Foster produced several superb saves, Watford appealed in vain for a late penalty after the ball struck Aké on the hand, and Gosling made that full-blooded challenge on Cleverley that led to him being booked and provoked such an angry response from Deeney.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Troy Deeney scores his and Watford’s second goal. Photograph: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images

“It was an interesting game to be involved in,” Deeney said. “The defending from both teams was Sunday league at best, to be honest. It was an end-to-end game. It could have been 6-6. As entertainers we’re happy but not as professionals. The only people that are happy are the fans. Abdoulaye Doucouré probably did get lucky [to not be sent off]. But you can’t tell me that their boy did not try to do Tom Cleverley. They know it. We know. But the referee bottled it on a few occasions.”

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Eddie Howe, the Bournemouth manager, had a rather different take. Asked whether he thought Doucouré was fortunate to stay on the pitch, he replied: “Yes, I do. I think it was a straight red card. I think Ryan is very fortunate not to have picked up a serious injury. It was a very dangerous tackle. I don’t think anyone wants to see those type of tackles in any league.”

As for Deeney’s remarks about Gosling, in particular the accusation that the Bournemouth midfielder had tried to deliberately hurt Cleverley, Howe said: “I know Dan inside and out and he’s not that type of player. He’s an honest guy. Yes, he’s mistimed the tackle. But in terms of those words, that’s not in Dan’s makeup.”

Gosling had an eventful match. It was his wayward pass that led to Deeney doubling Watford’s lead, after the striker had emphatically headed in Sema’s fine cross to open the scoring in the 14th minute. Gosling then saw his header brilliantly saved by Foster before Aké headed in the rebound to reduce the deficit. Fraser delivered the free-kick that led to that goal and also provided the dead-ball delivery from which Wilson equalised with a towering header.

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Bournemouth’s celebrations were quickly cut short as Sema thrashed home a low left-foot shot from 22 yards that beat Asmir Begovic at his near post. Bournemouth, in keeping with the helter-skelter nature of the game, went straight back up the other end and drew level. Junior Stanislas, who impressed as a makeshift right-back, delivered a low centre that Fraser, who was totally unmarked, coolly dispatched.

Howe, like everyone else, was still trying to make sense of it all afterwards. “I’ve got mixed emotions,” he said.