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Aston Villa lifted the BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup after Joe Bennett’s goal secured a 1-0 victory over Houston Dynamo .

Gabby Agbonlahor and Paul Lambert left the stadium clutching the trophy as they ended their Texas tour with a second friendly win.

But the claret and blues were probably keener to sip water rather than champagne from it after another sweltering night in the U.S.

Bennett scored the only goal of the game when he headed in Andi Weimann’s cross on 41 minutes in front of an enthusiastic 20,514 crowd.

It was another good workout, even though the temperature, humidity and nine half time changes made it hard for Villa to maintain their rhythm.

Disappointingly for the Dynamo crowd there was no Brad Guzan on the Villa teamsheet with Lambert choosing not to risk the American keeper who has only just returned to training.

Jed Steer was selected in goal, as Philippe Senderos partnered Nathan Baker in central defence with Matt Lowton at right-back and Bennett on the left.

Villa were set up in a 4-3-3 formation with Chris Herd, Karim El Ahmadi and Fabian Delph in midfield, although it often morphed into 4-5-1 when Andi Weimann and Charles N’Zogbia dropped back, leaving Gabby Agbonlahor isolated up front.

Dynamo, ninth in the MLS Eastern Conference, dominated the first half hour and created two promising openings before Lambert’s claret and blues stamped their mark on the match.

Jermaine Taylor should have scored when he found more space than the Houston Space Centre behind the Villa defence, but his close range volley from Brad Davis’ cross went into orbit. Bennett

Jed Steer completed the full 90 minutes and his only save was a routine one when Davis, a U.S. national squad colleague of Brad Guzan, hit a low shot from a tight angle.

Chris Herd was Villa’s only outfield player chosen to play the entire match - but it looked like even the Aussie was trying to cut short his involvement.

Herd was booked for launching himself dangerously at Boniek Garcia and was booked for the foul, although fortunately there were no broken Bonieks.

Herd’s midfield colleague Fabian Delph did leave the field on the half hour mark when he picked up a slight knock and was replaced in the centre by Kieran Richardson as a precautionary measure.

It took Villa until the closing stages of the first half to really put Dynamo under pressure and it paid dividends when Bennett opened the scoring on 41 minutes.

There was a sense the breakthrough goal was coming when Houston goalkeeper Tyler Deric denied Weimann from close range and the Austrian soon turned provider.

Standing out of the left flank, he whipped over a measured right-foot inswinger and Bennett rose at the back post to nod Villa in front.

Villa employed a 4-4-1-1 system after the break. Lambert made nine changes, with just Steer and Herd surviving from the first half line-up.

Herd switched to central defence alongside Ciaran Clark with the impressive Alan Hutton at right-back and Enda Stevens playing on the left.

In midfield, from right to left, it was Leandro Bacuna, Gary Gardner, Ashley Westwood and Jack Grealish, while Richardson was pushed further forward, just behind Darren Bent.

It was Bent who almost doubled Villa’s lead within seconds of the re-start, staying on his feet after a penalty box nudge from a defender, only for Deric to thwart him from close range.

At times the match resembled a testimonial in the second half, but it was certainly not for Omar Cummings, who had a week-long trial at Villa in January 2011.

Although Cummings entered the field for the last third of the match, the closest he came was a header which was diverted over under pressure from several defenders.

Fellow substitutes Andrew Driver and Brian Ownby also boosted Dynamo’s threat, but only slightly, with the latter firing a low strike past the post.

At the other end, out of nowhere, Gardner let fly with a 25 yard strike which rattled the bar and bounced to safety off the keeper, who knew very little about it.

Villa 1st half (4-3-3): Steer, Lowton, Senderos, Baker, Bennett; El Ahmadi, Herd, Delph; Weimann, Agbonlahor, N’Zogbia.

Villa 2nd half (4-4-1-1): Steer, Hutton, Herd, Clark, Stevens; Bacuna, Gardner, Westwood,Grealish; Richardson; Bent.