RICHARD Lee was the hero as Watford ran out 6-5 winners over brave Accrington Stanley in a penalty shoot-out to squeeze through to the third round of the Carling Cup on Tuesday, September 19.

Lee, who has played second fiddle to Ben Foster for the past year, saved from Paul Mullin before Anthony McNamee converted the decisive kick to send the Hornets fans home relieved.

It was a cruel way to end a spirited fight by League Two Stanley, who kept Watford at bay throughout the match and extra-time.

Matthew Spring, Toumani Diagouraga, Tamas Priskin, Adrian Mariappa and Jordan Parkes all converted their spot kicks to tie the score at 5-5, before Lee made the first breakthrough, saving from Stanley defender Peter Cavanagh.

Stanley's substitute goalkeeper, Robert Elliot, who bizarrely made way for the solid Ian Dunbavin at the end of extra-time, then saw James Chambers' kick cannon off the underside off the crossbar and Stanley were back in it. But it was Lee who again threw himself low to his left to thwart Mullin before McNamee sealed it.

It was the only drama in a dour match, and while manager Aidy Boothroyd rang the changes to give his fringe players a chance to shine, he would have been less than happy with what he witnessed.

Gary Roberts fired an early warning shot over for Stanley but it was the Hornets who got the first clear sight of goal after 15 minutes.

Albert Jarrett found himself in space on the left and his low, teasing cross found Spring, but the skipper's outstretched frame couldn't make a clean connection and the ball bobbled just wide of Dunbavin's left-hand post.

Stanley, happy to soak up the pressure before attempting to break with lofted balls up to the lively Roberts, then enjoyed their best period of pressure, which resulted in a corner awarded on the left after 21minutes.

Lee flapped at Ian Craney's in-swinger and the ball ballooned into the net, but referee Keith Stroud saved the keeper's blushes by awarding a foul.

The visitors then carved out their best chance of the half six minutes later; Phillip Edwards crossed from the right for Roberts, but his glancing header bounced wide of Lee's goal.

Al Bangura then stung the hands of Dunbavin with an opportunist drive before he went closer on the stroke of half-time with a curling shot that flew just wide.

The Hornets emerged for the second half with new zest and Bangura, Diagouraga and Priskin all went close early on.

Jarrett then wrong-footed Leam Richardson and pulled the trigger from distance, only to be thwarted by Dunbavin who parried the ball out for a corner. McNamee, who made a number of impressive runs in the first half, whipped the ball in only for Mariappa to head over with the goal at his mercy.

The game took another dip in quality and Stanley finally registered their first second-half shot on goal after 75minutes when Roberts pounced on a loose ball and fired in a low shot that zipped just wide.

Roberts then danced along the 18-yard box before forcing Lee into a fingertip save.

McNamee tried his luck after 82 minutes after a darting run down the left flank, but his shot was deflected for a corner. Jarrett floated it over but again Stanley held firm in numbers.

Two minutes later Lee turned Romauld Boco's 25-yard daisy-cutter around the post before berating his stagnant defenders for backing off and allowing the Stanley substitute far too much space.

Watford's substitute Sheku Kamara then picked up the first booking of the match after impeding Craney's determined surge towards the penalty area.

Jarrett then summed up Watford's night with a long-range injury-time effort that lacked both power and accuracy, before Lee dived to his left to keep out Craney's shot in what was the last action of the 90 minutes.

McNamee had Watford's first notable chance six minutes into the first period of the additional half hour, but his curling drive from the right channel sailed wide.

The Hornets lacked penetration and ideas and it was testament to Accrington's stout defending that they reduced the Premiership new boys to wayward shots from distance.

A rash of bad tackles before the end of the first half of extra time saw Bangura replaced by Claude Seanla after taking a kick to the face, while Priskin went in late on Robert Williams.

The second period was something of a damp squib and, sensing an upset could be on the cards, The Rookery burst into song in a last-ditch effort to spur the Hornets to find a goal from somewhere.

After 117 minutes - it felt a lot longer - McNamee's shot was parried by Dunbavin before Priskin put his overhead kick well wide of the mark with the goal-mouth beckoning.

Thankfully, the penalty shoot-out injected some life into a forgettable match and at least gave the crowd something to talk about late into the night.

Watford: Lee; Chambers, Mariappa, Blizzard, Parkes; Jarrett, Spring (captain), Bangura, McNamee; Priskin, Diagouraga. Substitutes: Kamara for Blizzard after 57 mins; Seanla for Bangura after 115 mins; Gill, Campana and Chamberlain not used.

Accrington Stanley: Dunbavin (Elliot 120); Cavanagh, Richardson, Williams, Todd; Edwards, Craney, Proctor, Doherty (Boco 14); Mullins, Roberts. Substitutes: Boco for Doherty after 14mins; Elliot for Dunbavin after 120 mins; Welch, Mangan and N'da not used, Referee: Keith Stroud Attendance: 8,368.