Watford 3-0 Bolton Wanderers

Neil Danns (centre) came on as a second-half substitute but could not inspire a Bolton comeback

Troy Deeney, Matej Vydra and substitute Fernando Forestieri were on target as Watford eased to victory over Bolton.

Deeney lifted the ball over Bolton goalkeeper Andy Lonergan after receiving Gabriele Angella's pass to give Beppe Sannino's team the lead.

Vydra made it 2-0 when he evaded Tim Ream's challenge and fired the ball home from 10 yards.

Then Forestieri burst clear to complete the scoring less than a minute after coming off the bench.

Watford have so far managed to resist bids for Deeney, who was named as captain for the season opener.

The 26-year-old striker scored 44 Championship goals in the past two seasons and had reportedly attracted interest from Premier League clubs such as newly promoted Burnley and Leicester City.

Deeney has been reunited with Vydra after a season apart. The two formed an effective partnership in 2012-13, scoring a combined 44 goals as the Hornets reached the Championship play-offs under Gianfranco Zola.

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes made his debut for Watford, alongside fellow new arrivals Juan Carlos Paredes and Gabriel Tamas.

Craig Davies (right) had one of Bolton's few chances during the defeat at Vicarage Road

Bolton finished 14th last season - their lowest end-of-season position for two decades but manager Dougie Freedman has not made wholesale changes to his squad.

Full-back Dean Moxey was the only debutant in the starting XI but his first significant contribution almost cost his new team a goal.

His short backpass was intercepted by Deeney, but the Watford striker's low shot went tamely wide.

It was an uncharacteristic miss but the striker atoned for his error by scoring the opening goal in the 17th minute. It was his 10th in as many games at Vicarage Road.

He latched on to Gabriele Angella's long pass and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Andy Lonergan to score.

The hosts doubled their advantage when Vydra skipped past Tim Ream's challenge and fired the ball beyond Lonergan from 10 yards after another long ball forward.

Paredes came close to marking his debut with a goal but his 20-yard drive crashed against the bar within two minutes of the restart.

Craig Davies blasted a volley over the bar as Bolton began to enjoy more possession, then Chung-yong Lee's long-range effort was tipped over by Gomes.

Vydra left the field to a standing ovation when replaced by Forestieri and the substitute took less than 30 seconds to make an impact, breaking free to apply a calm finish and complete a miserable afternoon for Bolton.

Watford manager Beppe Sannino:

"The performance was very good because we have to play a good game with passing short and passing long and we're building the situation which is very important.

"We hope that Troy Deeney stays with us for the rest of the season."

Bolton manager Dougie Freedman:

"Uncharacteristic lapses in concentration presented them with two opportunities and, when you're dealing with the best two strikers in the division, you can't do that.

"In the second half, I thought we gave it a right good go and created opportunities but we didn't take them."

Watford's Joe Ekstrand and Bolton's Darren Pratley battle for possession at Vicarage Road

Gianni Munari (right) contests a head with Medo after coming on as a substitute for his Watford debut