Sky Blues pick up first domestic friendly win of pre-season over Championship side Watford after Tudgay's first goal for the club
Coventry City secured the first win of their dmoestic pre-season preparations with a fine 1-0 win over Watford courtesy of Marcus Tudgay's first goal for the club
Tudgay gave the Sky Blues an early but much deserved lead at Boreham Wood and they saw it out to cap off an excellent 90-minute display.
Sky Blues boss Steven Pressley made just two changes to the side that lost 1-0 at Newport County just 24 hours earlier, bringing John Fleck and Jim O'Brien into the midfield at the expense of Danny Swanson and Billy Daniels.
They were up against a strong Watford lineup but certainly held their own in the opening stages and nearly forced an opener after three minutes when Jordan Clarke fired in a low ball which Heurelho Gomes had to get down and smother in his six yard box.
City were ahead five minutes later though courtesy of Tudgay who received a short through ball from Fleck before poking into the bottom corner from eight yards.
Gomes was required to make a fine save to deny Tudgay after 29 minutes when the City striker piked up the ball 20 yards out and tried to pick out the far top corner only for the Hornets shot stopper to tip the ball over the bar.
The first 45 minutes undoubtedly belonged to the Sky Blues and they finished the half on a strong note when Miller picked up the ball 30 yards out and drove towards the area before curling an effort just wide of the post to underline City's attacking threat.
The half time break only brought about two changes with Lee Burge replacing Ryan Allsop and Dan Seaborne coming on for skipper Reda Johnson.
It was a mostly changed side for the Hornets in the second period, making nine changes before the restart and a tenth just minutes after it.
The Sky Blues maintained a balance in the game despite Watford's changes bringing about a renewed energy which saw both Diego Fabbrini and Troy Deeney test Burge.
City's myriad of changes with 20 minutes to go though did not see the tide turn in favour of the hosts as Pressley's youngsters continued to battle to keep the visitors ahead.
It took a great reflex stop from Burge with seven minutes to go though to protect the advantage when Lewis McGugan dribbled his way through the City defence and tried to stab an effort home only for Burge to stick out a leg to deny him.
Teams
Coventry City: Allsop (Burge 46), Clarke (Haynes 71), Johnson (c) (Seaborne 46), Webster (Phillips 71), Willis (Daniels 71), Pugh (Finch 71), Fleck (Lawton 71), C Thomas (Barton 71), O'Brien (Swanson 64), Tudgay (Maddison 64), Miller (G Thomas 64)
Watford: Gomes (Bond 58), Doyley, Angella, Tamas (Eksttrand 46), Pudil (Deeney 46), Tozer (Andrews 21), Abdi (McGugan 46), Battocchio (Ranegie 46), Dyer (Murray 46) (Ighalo 77), Vydra (Hoban 46), Anya (Fabbrini 46)