Tammy Abraham’s goal gives Aston Villa’s Dean Smith the perfect start

It was not without a jittery finish but for Dean Smith, a boyhood Aston Villa supporter, this was an occasion worth waiting for. In the end, a first-half header by Tammy Abraham, relegated with Swansea City last season, proved the difference as Smith celebrated victory in his first game in charge and Villa their first win in five matches, reinvigorating the promotion push their fans so crave.

Not so long ago, the former Brentford manager was one of them. Smith’s father, Ron, would show Sir Doug Ellis to his seat during 25 years working as a steward here, while he and his brother, Dave, would wipe clean the terraces in exchange for a pie and passage into the Holte End.

Smith may have grown up in Great Barr, four miles from this rocking stadium, but he knew he would be afforded no honeymoon period. A charged Villa Park was packed as almost 42,000 supporters, the fourth-biggest crowd in the country on Saturday, welcomed a new era and said farewell to Ellis, the club’s former chairman who died this month.

Before the almighty roar that met Smith as he walked out of the tunnel for the first time, the club marked the life president’s death with a stirring minute’s applause as flags on the stand renamed after him flew at half-mast. There was a deafening chorus of the home faithful’s adaptation of Ghost Riders in the Sky, as a teary-eyed and suited Smith received a hero’s welcome.

“It’s great to give them the first win, we want to try to get the bums off the seats here,” Smith said. “We are grateful for them all turning up in their numbers and it just shows what can happen at this club. It’s always a good start when you get three points.”

Abraham relished his role as the focal point of a three-pronged Villa attack, with the striker ably flanked by two wingmen in Albert Adomah and Ahmed Elmohamady. Swansea struggled to contain a revved-up Villa and on eight minutes, when Elmohamady stood up an inviting cross, Abraham clambered highest to nod home his third goal in as many games. Smith swivelled in the dugout, fist pumping towards the Trinity Road stand where his dad once worked.

A dream start almost got better too but neither James Chester nor Alan Hutton could connect with a low, teasing Jack Grealish free-kick. Swansea succumbed to what their manager, Graham Potter, described as a challenging environment for his young side, yet Villa were in the mood, John McGinn boisterous in midfield and Elmohamady enjoying a free rein.

They did not have it all their own way, though. Swansea should have restored parity when Connor Roberts galloped down the right before cutting back for Jay Fulton but the midfielder’s effort lacked conviction and Barrie McKay was too sluggish in his attempt to sweep home the rebound.

Villa had lost their vim until Abraham came alive in the box on the hour mark, smacking an effort goalwards only for Kristoffer Nordfeldt to make an instinctive save down to his right. He missed another chance to double his and Villa’s tally moments later after latching on to Yannick Bolasie’s cross at the back post but Nordfeldt again stood tall.

Swansea rallied, with Bersant Celina bending a strike just wide of the post before Ørjan Nyland, previously unconvincing, pulled off a trio of magnificent saves, denying Mike van der Hoorn, Fulton and Roberts from point-blank range as Villa clung on for only their second win in 12 matches.

Villa have rediscovered that winning feeling that has too often eluded them, with victory lifting them to within three points of the play-offs and seven off the summit.

“The clean sheet is the big thing for us – we have conceded an awful lot of goals,” Smith said. “It’s a tough league and it’s a tight league.”
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*BBC Sport*
Saturday, 20 October 2018

*New boss Dean Smith was pleased for Aston Villa’s home fans after beating Swansea City in his first game in charge in front of a full-to-capacity 41,326 Villa Park crowd.*

“It was great to win it for the fans,” said the lifelong Villa supporter. “It was one of the biggest crowds of the day, including the Premier League.

“It just shows what can happen at this club if we have a plan to move forward.”

On a day when Villa officially marked last week’s death of former chairman Sir Doug Ellis, on-loan Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham made it a happy start to Smith’s new era by getting the only goal of the game.

From Ahmed Elmohamady’s eighth-minute right-wing cross, Abraham rose highest to head home from close range against the club where he spent last season on loan.

It was a fourth goal in seven games for Abraham - and he might have had more.

Swansea keeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt - who had also done well to save Albert Adomah’s deflected shot on 28 minutes - denied Abraham a second on 62 minutes, shortly after the striker had headed over from three yards.

“Tammy put in a hell of shift up front on his own and proved that he is a fine player. He is a handful,” added Smith. “But he knows better than me that he should have been walking away with the match ball.”

While Villa picked up their first win in five games to move within three points of the play-offs, Swansea had chances after the break to avoid a third game without a win.

Bersant Celina shot just wide and Jay Fulton’s header was well saved by Villa keeper Orjan Nyland.

But, boosted by the return of their captain, Wales defender James Chester, who was banned for the 2-1 loss at Millwall (Villa’s first game after Steve Bruce’s sacking), the hosts crucially kept a clean sheet for only the second time this season.

“The clean sheet is a big thing for us, having conceded a lot of goals this season,” said Smith. “My goalkeeper made some very good saves. He can take a lot from this game.”

Victory meant new head coach Smith succeeded where Alex McLeish, Paul Lambert, Tim Sherwood, Remi Garde, Roberto Di Matteo and Bruce all failed and became the first Villa boss to win his opening league match since Gerard Houllier against Wolves in September 2010.

In their first game since the death of Ellis, aged 94, eight days previous, Villa paid a heartfelt pre-match tribute to their former chairman.

*Swansea manager Graham Potter:*

“With the emotion of Sir Doug passing it was always going to be a challenging environment.

“We are playing some good football but we need to turn that into goals and wins. It’s one of those first halves we’ll look back on and probably learn a lot from.

“Aston Villa are a big club. There’s no disgrace in losing here but we want to improve our performance and do better.”
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*Sky Sports*
Saturday, 20 October 2018

Dean Smith’s first game as Aston Villa’s head coach saw his side pick up three points with a 1-0 home win over Swansea for only their second victory in 11 games.

Making a perfect start to his new job Smith bucked the trend as he became the first of the last seven Villa managers to win his first match in charge. It was also Villa’s first win in their last six league games against the Welsh club to inspire hopes of a much-needed revival and climb up the Sky Bet Championship table.

Villa’s belated home success was created by an early strike from their on-loan striker Tammy Abraham with a quality eighth-minute finish.

It was, however, a typical Villa performance. Urged on by a near-capacity crowd of 41,336 they dominated the early exchanges only to lose the initiative in the second period when they sadly lacked the killer instinct to finish off the opposition.

Following a minute’s applause for the club’s former chairman Sir Doug Ellis, Villa typically made all the early running with Swansea pushed back.

The home side made a dream start when Abraham put them ahead after only eight minutes. A high cross into the heart of a packed Swansea defence saw Abraham, who scored five goals for the visitors last season, rise above everyone else to score with a close-range header.

Despite this early goal and their dominance Villa produced very few real goal opportunities. Albert Adomah twice tested Kristoffer Nordfeldt but on each occasion the Swans keeper was alive to the danger.

Swansea, who have not scored a first-half away goal since December 2017, gave little indication of changing this trend as they struggled to produce any serious attacks with the exception of a 44th-minute effort from Connor Roberts which was well saved by Orjan Nyland.

Twice in quick succession Jack Grealish attempted to get on the scoresheet for Villa only to be thwarted on each occasion by the well-positioned Nordfeldt.

The Swans keeper was again in the right spot at the right time to save a shot on the turn from Abraham in the 62nd minute. Villa’s defence then held firm as Bersant Celina went close to grabbing an equaliser.
The managers

Dean Smith:”Tammy is a handful and he knows better than me that he should have been walking away with the match ball. Tammy put in a hell of shift up front on his own and proved that he is a fine player. In the second half I thought our energy levels dropped and allowed Swansea to get onto the ball in little pockets.

“It’s a tough league but a tight league. The win gives us an opportunity to move forward. We now have two away games but the players know what I expect. It is always a good start when you get three points. I thought we were very good in the first half, certainly the first 30 minutes we stuck to the game plan.