Walcott makes his mark as Gunners pinch a draw in Austria

9:41am Wednesday 23rd July 2008

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THEO WALCOTT got on the scoresheet and Carlos Vela made his Arsenal debut as the Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw by Hungarian side Szombathelyi Haladas in the first match of their Austrian tour.

Mexican Vela started alongside Nicklas Bendtner up front, while Walcott dropped into midfield.

But it is there that the Englishman has been most effective for Arsene Wenger, and so it proved once again, as he came in off the right flank to drill a shot across the keeper three minutes before half-time to cancel out Krisztian Kenesei's lobbed opener.

Wenger - much akin to the game against Barnet on Saturday - exploited the opportunity to test out most of his young players, making a swathe of changes in the second half to give the majority of the squad a good run out.

Two stars of the game against Barnet, winger Jack Wilshere and new boy Aaron Ramsey were given starting berths.

But it was debutant Vela who got involved in a trademark fluent Arsenal move early on.

Bendtner dinked over a cross from the left and the young forward controlled the ball expertly on his chest, setting up Brazilian Denilson, whose shot cannoned off the underside of the crossbar.

Two more players that were given the nod were the Hoyte brothers, Justin and Gavin, at the heart of the defence.

But their inexperience in that position proved costly, as the hosts' striker Kenesei was allowed to break through and clip a shot over the advancing Manuel Almunia mid-way through the first half.

Gavin Hoyte desperately tried to keep the ball out as he hooked it clear but the ball was ajudged to have crossed the line and the Gunners were one behind.

After much to-ing and fro-ing, Arsenal eventually pulled level just before the interval, with Bendtner and Walcott showing the type of link-up play that will enthuse Wenger - given that first-choice striker Eduardo is out of action until October while the future of Emmanuel Adebayor remains uncertain.

The Danish international plucked the ball out of the air with a deft touch before releasing Walcott who had made a burst into the box.

The pace on the pass took the 19-year-old away from goal but his precise shot found its mark after hitting the inside of the far post.

One of Saturday's strongest performers Mark Randall was one of a number of changes made during the second half by Wenger and that clearly disrupted the game, with the home side also making plenty of substitutions.

But the game delivered what it had promised - a useful exercise for the Gunners squad.