Aston Villa 0 Watford 0 - Report

The midfielder saw his 53rd minute spot-kick, after Alan Hutton had been brought down in the box, saved by Hornets keeper Heurelho Gomes.

Gabriel Agbonlahor had earlier missed a good chance to put Villa ahead, while Jerome Sinclair squandered an equally good opening for the visitors.

Watford striker Isaac Success also brought a second half save out of Villa keeper Jed Steer in a game of few clear-cut openings.

Lansbury’s penalty was by far the best opportunity of a game organised in tribute to Graham Taylor, the former manager who spent two stints in charge of both clubs and who died in January at the age of 72.

For current Villa boss Steve Bruce, the real business begins next week with the Championship opener against Hull City.

Villa’s final pre-season fixture was a chance for many supporters to see new signings John Terry, Ahmed Elmohamady and Glenn Whelan up close for the first time.

They also got a brief glimpse of Jack Grealish but the attacker’s exit after just 26 minutes due to injury was one of the more concerning moments of the afternoon for Bruce.

New skipper Terry made his first appearance at Villa Park in claret and blue, while fellow summer arrivals Elmohamady and Whelan were also included in the starting XI.

Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone was the only surprise absentee from the squad named by Bruce. The Manchester United loanee missed out due to an injury sustained in training, with Jed Steer starting in his place.

A minute’s applause prior to kick-off for Taylor meant the game began in a lively atmosphere despite the relatively sparse crowd.

Agbonlahor should have raised the volume further when an errant Younes Kaboul pass sent him through on goal inside the opening 90 seconds. But his finish was too close to Gomes who was able to make the save.

Sinclair was then guilty of an even more glaring miss on 15 minutes. Through on goal with just Steer to beat after Roberto Pereyra flicked on Nathaniel Chalobah’s through ball, the former Albion youth teamer miscued his finish horribly wide.

Villa lost Grealish before the half-hour mark, the playmaker forced off from an injury sustained while trying to prevent a Watford counter-attack. Leandro Bacuna replaced him from the bench.

Other than a Chalobah shot which comfortably cleared the bar, there were no further efforts on goal during a first-half which rather fizzled out.

But there was action almost from the start of the second period, as Lansbury was foiled from the spot for the first time in pre-season.

The 26-year-old had previously boasted a 100 per cent conversion rate having netted two penalties at Telford and one at Shrewsbury.

Yet on this occasion Gomes proved equal to the strike, saving to his left after Alan Hutton had been barged over by Kaboul in the box.

Watford made a flurry of changes around the hour mark and one of the new men, Francisco Femenia, almost created the opener with a cross that Isaac Success fired straight at Steer, the Villa keeper saving in somewhat unconvincing fashion.

Femenia was then on hand to deny Villa substitute Scott Hogan a tap-in at the other end after an Elmohamady cross had evaded a lunging Birkir Bjarnason.

Another Villa sub, Jordan Amavi then fired wide at the far post from a Bjarnason cross. But neither team could find a breakthrough as the game drifted to a draw.

Teams:

Villa (4-4-1-1): Steer, Hutton, Terry © (Samba 74), Chester, Taylor, Lansbury, Whelan (Hourihane 74), Green (Bjarnason 69), Elmohamady (Bree 74), Grealish (Bacuna 26), Agbonlahor (Hogan 54) Subs not used: Amavi.

Watford (4-2-3-1): Gomes © (Pantilimon 60); Cathcart, Kabasele (Prodl 10), Kaboul (Femenia 60), Mason; Cleverley (Watson 60), Doucouré (Hughes 60), Chalobah; Amrabat (Okaka 60), Sinclair, Pereyra (Success HT) Subs not used: Rowan.