Watford 2 Chievo Verona 1

A goal in either half by Ashley Young and Matthew Spring ensured Watford completed their pre-season preparations in fine style with victory over Champions League hopefuls Chievo Verona at a rain sodden Vicarage Road on Sunday.

The busy visitors, who had held the home side's Premiership rivals, Middlesbrough to a goalless draw at the Riverside Stadium 24 hours previous simply had no answer to Watford's pacey, direct approach and although Brazilian Carvalho Amauri did restore equality just before the interval, Spring's winner, coupled with a straight red card for Salvatore Lanna, compounded a miserable afternoon for the Italians.

With the start of the new Premiership campaign just six days away Watford manager, Aidy Boothroyd wisely chose a squad of players with realistic aspirations of figuring at Everton's Goodison Park, with the proviso that they would all take some part in proceedings.

There was one significant absentee, American defender Jay DeMerit had injured an ankle during training meaning he was unable to take his place in the heart of defence, which allowed talented youngster, Adrian Mariappa another opportunity to further enhance his already growing reputation.

The biggest reception prior to kick-off however was predictably reserved for the returning Ben Foster, the popular on loan Manchester United goalie replacing Richard Lee between the sticks.

The match began in horrendously overcast conditions, and numerous downpours throughout an unseasonable August morning had left the top surface greasy, giving perfect opportunity for Watford's speedy attackers to exploit any hesitancy in the Chievo Verona rearguard.

This they did from the start, and after the early skirmishes had been relatively even, Watford took charge for the rest of the afternoon.

Young had already supplied a testing free-kick which the Italians just managed to scramble away, before a cute back header by Darius Henderson was just tipped over the cross bar by an increasingly busy Vincenzo Sicignano in the Chievo Verona goal.

Chances were beginning to fall the home side's way with increasing regularity, and almost immediately, Danny Shittu brought the best out of the Italian stopper, who then held firm as Young tried his luck from distance.

As Boothroyd's men continued to press, Henderson again went close, heading wide when well placed before the breakthrough finally arrived after 30 minutes.

The ever impressive Young combined well with James Chambers from a corner, before advancing into the penalty area and firing an unstoppable shot past Sicignano.

The Italians, who had barely been in the contest up until this stage rallied briefly, and managed to draw level as half time approached, although even then it was a piece of individual skill rather than constructive team play, Amauri, with an audacious overhead effort from fully 20 yards finding the back of the net to the bewilderment of Foster.

Boothroyd made the expected substitutions at the break, but a change in personnel failed to curtail Watford's impetus and a similar pattern emerged at the start of the second half as the weather deteriorated still further.

Tamas Priskin, and traillist Albert Jarrett, two youngsters with plenty of ambition, soon became embroiled in the thick of the action, and the latter was to gain a deserved penalty verdict which would eventually settle the outcome on 58 minutes.

Collecting the ball inside the Chievo Verona penalty area Jarrett was about to pull the trigger, but as he prepared to shoot, Scurto Guiseppe bundled him over, leaving Referee Mr. Rennie, never one to shy away from contentious decisions, with one of the easiest he will make all season.

Young strode purposefully forward from 12 yards but struck a right foot shot within the compass of Sicignano who managed a firm hand parry, but Spring one of the half time replacements, was the first to react and he fired the resultant loose ball high into the roof of the net.

Comfortably ahead on points, if not numerically on the score sheet Watford went in search of a killer third goal, and their attempts were given a significant boost with just over a quarter of the game remaining when Lanna was red carded.

The Italian had already taken out flying winger, Jarrett with a tackle from behind, but any thoughts of leniency from Mr. Rennie was extinguished when the defender appeared to tread on the Sierra Leone youngster as he lay prostrate on the ground.

As so often happens however, the team reduced to ten men re-grouped well, and although never seriously threatening an undeserved equaliser, Giuseppe Pillon's men managed to deny Watford any further clear-cut scoring opportunities.

The final whistle singled the end of pre-season, and as the home support trudged purposefully out of Vicarage Road into the pouring rain, one could reflect on five victories in six matches for the Golden Boys, although one suspects that far greater challenges lay ahead in the Premiership than this one-sided friendly.