A goal was to prove elusive as Watford and Aston Villa played out a scoreless stalemate in the Graham Taylor Tribute Match at Villa Park.

A crowd of more than 10,000 sang in a memory of the late manager of both clubs, who died in January, as both teams made their way out on to the pitch before a period of applause followed prior to the start of the game.

Former Vicarage Road loanee Henri Lansbury had the best chance to win the game in the second half, but saw his penalty saved by Heurelho Gomes, after both sides had failed to make the most of respective one-on-one chances in the opening period.

One of the leading managers of his generation, Taylor famously led Watford from the Fourth Division to runners-up in the First Division, into Europe and their sole FA Cup Final appearance to date in his first spell at the club.

He later returned to Vicarage Road to become the only man in the club's history to lead them to the top-flight of English football twice and subsequently also served as chairman.

Taylor was also Villa manager twice, but it was first spell that is best remembered after he secured promotion back to the First Division in his first season at the helm prior to finishing a top-flight runner-up for a second time in the 1989/90 campaign.