Watford slip to friendly defeat at Cardiff

Troy Deeney made it two goals in as many pre-season friendlies with his first-half strike against Cardiff City, but the game ended in a 2-1 defeat for Watford.

The Premier League side were caught out by an industrious Cardiff side, who took the lead on 18 minutes when Joe Mason turned Joe Ralls’ cross into the net after a good passing move from the hosts.

Deeney latched onto Craig Cathcart’s lobbed ball over the top of the Cardiff defence to claim an easy goal that levelled the match on the half-hour mark.

But Cardiff grabbed a winner 10 minutes from the end of a rain-soaked second half, when Ralls again turned provider for Mason with a superb pass that gave the striker an easy finish from 10 yards out.

Despite the disappointing defeat, Watford will have been encouraged by the debut of Jose Manuel Jurado, who looked lively throughout.