Watford 0 Accrington Stanley 0 (Watford win 6-5 on pens)

Richard Lee spared Watford's blushes by saving two penalties as the Premiership newcomers avoided a shock defeat at the hands of Accrington Stanley.

After a turgid 120 minutes of football, the Carling Cup second round tie at Vicarage Road went to penalties where a second string Watford triumphed 6-5 in sudden death.

Deputising for England keeper Ben Foster, Lee saved spot-kicks from Peter Cavanagh and Paul Mullin allowing Anthony McNamee to slot home the winning penalty and send Watford through to round three.

With the impressive Albert Jarrett to the fore, Watford started the game on the front foot and forced four corners in the first six minutes. But the delivery was not of the required standard and Accrington weathered the early storm.

The first chance of the night fell to Matthew Spring but the captain failed to make a clean connection with an Alhassan Bangura cross.

Accrington gradually began to impose themselves on the game and they thought they had scored a shock opener on 21 minutes when Ian Craney's inswinging corner sailed straight in but referee Keith Stroud ruled the goal out for a foul on Lee.

The visitors again went close six minutes later when a glancing header from Gary Roberts fell just wide of the post.

But Watford finished the dire 45 minutes on the front foot and came close to breaking the deadlock on two occasions.

The impressive Bangoura smashed a long range piledriver straight at Ian Dunbavin and then caused the keeper another anxious moment when he fizzed a left-footed drive just over the angle of bar and post.

Jarrett, the former Arsenal trainee, carried on where he left off in the second half and he showed his versatility by firing a left-footed shot just over the bar and then forcing a flying save from Dunbavin with a sweet right-footed strike.

Those who expected Accrington to fade as the match wore on were mistaken as it was John Coleman's side who took control of the last quarter.

Roberts posed the biggest threat and he unleashed a rising left-foot drive that Lee tipped over the bar and then curled a free-kick just over.

The closest either side came to a goal though was on 84 minutes when substitute Romauld Boco surged through the heart of the Watford defence and forced Lee to dive full length to his right to push a grass cutter around the post.

The quality of the game did not improve in extra-time and the additional 30 minutes was only notable for two incidents.

Bangoura was stretchered off after suffering a nasty head injury while Dunbavin was bizarrely replaced on the stroke of full-time by Rob Elliot.

Elliot, the penalty expert, was powerless to prevent the first five spot-kicks from finding the back of the net and it was turning into something of a penalty masterclass as Watford found the net with each of their first five.

After Cavanagh missed spot-kick number six, James Chambers blew the chance to win it for Watford when he crashed his effort against the bar but McNamee made no mistake after Lee had saved Mullin's effort

Golden Boys man of the match: Richard Lee.