The equaliser prompted completely contrasting reactions from the two managers. While Aidy Boothroyd was embarking on a 20-yard touchline sprint to celebrate with his players, Dave Jones berated the official, pointing to his watch. He had a point.
The goal came in the fourth of what were supposed to be three minutes of stoppage time and it was rough on his Bluebirds, who were the better side and looked set to withstand an aerial bombardment in the closing stages.
Boothroyd's celebrations were probably prompted by relief though, as much as anything. A draw is better than a defeat but, the fact remains, Watford continue to be woeful at home and have now failed to register three points at Vicarage Road in their last six outings.
It has not been Watford's footballing ability that has been responsible for keeping them on top of the Championship for the vast majority of the past four months but, even so, you would still expect a team leading the second tier of the English game to be able to pass the ball ten yards more often than not.
However, the fact there were increasingly ironic chants from the home faithful as the first half wore on when the Hornets did manage to achieve either of those things spoke volumes, but the home side were still made to look decidedly second rate by a Cardiff outfit that moved the ball forward competently, precisely and with purpose.
Stephen McPhail shot narrowly wide before Paul Parry and Joe Ledley were both denied by Richard Lee following some neat passing moves around the Hornets box.
It was no surprise when Cardiff did take the lead, and few inside Vicarage Road could dispute the visitors deserved it. Given the attractiveness of the Bluebirds' play, it was ironic that it should come from a set-piece - the unmarked Roger Johnson heading Ledley's corner powerfully home.
Watford improved after the break. Their passing was sharper, they attacked with more conviction and they would have fancied their chances of ending their dismal sequence of home results when JayDeMerit prodded his first goal of the season past Kasper Schmeichel from close range three minutes after the restart after Nathan Ellington and then Tommy Smith had helped the ball on.
However, the mistakes were not eradicated completely and, from one of these involving Damien Francis and Lee Williamson, Peter Whittingham latched onto the loose ball and fired arrow-like past Lee from 20 yards.
That looked like behind the winner, particularly after Schmeichel had produced two excellent stoppage-time saves to deny McAnuff and Smith.
Both stops led to corners, but from the second Cardiff failed to clear their lines properly and they were made to pay when McAnuff drove inside and curled home from 14 yards to net for the second successive game.