Express & Star

Aston Villa 1 Swansea 0 - Report and pictures

Tammy Abraham's early header gave Dean Smith a perfect start to life in the Aston Villa hot seat on an emotional day at a packed out Villa Park.

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The striker headed home after just eight minutes to settle the nerves of the sell out crowd.

In truth he could have had a hat-trick, as he spurned two golden chances in the second half.

Villa enjoyed the majority of the play and chances throughout, but the young Swansea City side always carried a threat.

They forced Orjan Hyland into two smart saves in the second period, but Villa held firm to the delight of boyhood fan Smith.

The new boss made two changes for his first game in charge as Albert Admoah started in place of Conor Hourihane, and skipper James Chester returned for James Bree, who dropped out of the match day squad.

The atmosphere was electric inside Villa Park as the players emerged from the tunnel.

A mixture of support for Smith was coupled with touching tributes for the late Sir Doug Ellis.

Former players lined the side of the pitch before kick as wreaths were laid in the centre circle, to the sound of an immaculate minutes applause from both sets of players and supporters.

The sell out home crowd were hoping for a fast paced start, and they certainly got that as their side took the lead after just eight minutes.

Villa had already threatened on the break, with Abraham's vital final pass cut out by the Swans back line.

Then on eight minutes, a Jack Grealish free kick struck the wall but the midfielder managed to keep the move alive.

He found Ahmed Elmohamady who crossed from the right for former Swansea striker Abraham to head home.

Villa were in the mood and were living up to the occasion, with Grealish being the standout man.

The midfielder was dictating the play, and almost laid on a Villa second on 20 minutes.

A low free kick from wide on the right evaded the Swansea defenders, and skipper Chester was inches away from getting the vital touch at the back post.

Neil Taylor then produced an inch perfect cross for John McGinn in the box but he couldn't get the ball out of his feet at the vital moment.

At this point it was all Villa, with the Swansea attack only able to muster up a few wayward headers.

Graham Potter's men had goalkeeper Christoper Nordfeldt to thank for prevent them from falling further behind on the half hour mark.

McGinn won a free kick in the middle of the pitch, and caught Swansea napping with a quick ball to Adomah.

The winger fired in a low cross that deflected off a defender and looked to be looping over the keeper and in, but Nordfeldt back peddled and managed to claw the ball away.

Villa's midfield were winning back possession almost every time Swansea tried to advance forward.

The hosts were also winning the majority of second balls, however their final pass was letting them down at times.

After dominating the first period, they were almost stung a minute before the break with the visitors going close to an equaliser.

Swansea broke down the right with Connor Roberts crossing to find Jay Fulton, but his effort was palmed away by Orjan Nyland.

Smith's men fired out of the traps in the second half, just as they did in the first.

Grealish went close to a second just two minutes in, as his curling effort was parried away by Nordfeldt.

The play maker was Villa's main threat, but he was being well backed up McGinn who was superb all afternoon in the centre of the park.

He was winning play back, firing into tackles and setting up attacking moves just as much as Grealish was.

He headed down in the box for Adomah to fire wide, before Grealish lashed an effort high into the Holte End.

Abraham then spurned two golden chances in the space of ten minutes that would have handed Villa a two goal buffer.

First he was found unmarked in the box by an Adomah cross, but could only fire straight at the keeper.

Then five minutes later substitute Yannick Bolasie picked him out at the back post, and again he spurned the chance by heading into the ground and over.

With the slender lead Villa were always susceptible to a sucker punch from the visitors, who had only enjoyed brief spells of pressure in the game.

They had one of those spells with 20 minutes remaining and almost took the lead.

First Bersant Celina curled a shot inches wide, before Nyland produced a superb save to push away Fulton's goal bound header from close range.

Taylor then thew himself in front of Roberts' effort from a Tom Carroll pull back, as the pressure started to mount a little on the hosts.

With just a minute remaining Villa again had Nyland to thank, as he got down low to his left to push captain Mike Van Der Hoorn's header clear.

Villa held out late on for the victory, that lifts them up the Championship table and marks the start of a new era at Villa Park.

Key moments

8 - GOAL - Ahmed Elmohamady crosses from the right for Tammy Abraham to head the ball into the corner, giving Kristoffer Nordfeldt no chance.

29 - CHANCE - Villa close to a second. John McGinn's quick free kick finds Albert Adomah and his low cross deflects up over the keeper and looks to be heading in. However Nordfeldt back peddles and claws it away.

63 - CHANCE - Adomah's cross from the left finds Abraham unmarked in the box, but he can only fire straight at the keeper.

70 - SAVE - Orjan Nyland produces a superb save to his left to push away Jay Fulton's goal bound header.

89 - SAVE - Another save, this time low to his right by Nyland to keep out a Van Der Hoorn header.

Teams

Aston Villa: (4-2-3-1) Nyland, Taylor, Tuanzebe, Chester, McGinn, Grealish (Hourihane 82), Abraham, Bjarnason, Hutton, Elmohamady (Bolasie 63), Adomah

Subs not used: Bunn, Whelan, Hogan, Jedinak, Kodjia

Swansea: (3-4-3) Nordfeldt, Olsson, Van Der Hoorn, Fer (Grimes 71), McBurnie, Celina, McKay (Carroll 65), Rodon, Roberts, Fulton, Harries (James 50)

Subs not used: Mulder, Carter-Vickers, Naughton, Byers