SMITH GETS OFF TO DREAM START
...but the Bees lose at home
DEAN Smith kicked off his reign as Aston Villa boss with a narrow victory against Swansea – on an emotional day at Villa Park.
Villa old boys lined up on the side of the pitch as tributes to former owner Sir Doug Ellis were made pre-match, complete with a thunderous minute’s applause from the 41,336 strong crowd.
Then Tammy Abraham headed home an eighth-minute winner as Villa took the spoils, though they were indebted to keeper Orjan Nyland for preserving their lead.
“I think it was one of the biggest crowds of the day, including the Premier League,” said Smith.
“It shows what can happen at this club if we can get it right.”
Meanwhile, Smith’s old club, Brentford, slipped to their first home defeat of the season, going down 1-0 against Bristol City at Griffin Park in Dane Thomas Frank’s first match in charge.
Niclas Eliasson netted an 89th-minute winner against a Bees side who had Chris Mepham sent off for two bookable offences.
AN unknown goalkeeper Steve Bruce was pilloried for signing only two months ago gave new boss and avid Aston Villa fan Dean Smith his dream start.
Norwegian Orjan Nyland made five saves to protect the eighth-minute lead given to Villa by Tammy Abraham’s header from Ahmed Elmohamady’s cross
But had it not been for Nyland, Smith’s debut as Villa boss would have turned sour.
Nyland, bought for £3m from the German second division by Bruce, saved twice, once towards the end of the first half, and then again in the second half, from Jay Fulton.
Connor Roberts tried and failed in the second half as well and, in the final minutes, it was Mike van der Hoorn and Bersant Celina who were frustrated.
Bersant didn’t even get a corner after Nyland’s save on the goal-line. Swansea’s luck was right out.
“They were saves I would expect the goalkeeper to make,” said Smith, showing he will be no soft touch as boss of the team he has supported since he was seven.
But Smith did have a look at where he used to stand on the Holte End as he walked out for the game.
Villa’s old boys lined up on the side of the pitch as well as tributes to former owner Sir Doug Ellis were made, complete with a thunderous minute’s applause from the 41,336 crowd. “I
thought it was going to be a real emotional time, but there were so many ex-players that I knew there on the side I kept giving them a hug,” said Smith.
‘The Holte singing my name? Yes, a great touch.
“We want the fans turning up in big numbers like that. I think it was one of the biggest crowds of the day, including the Premier League.
“It shows what can happen at this club if we can get it right.
“When I was watching Villa from the Holte End it was terracing up there, not seats, and I took a moment to look up there.
“I caught the eye of my missus as well, so she’ll be happy.” Villa had won only once in 10 games prior to this, costing Bruce his job.
In the end Villa were fighting off a Swansea revival as Smith saw first hand his new team’s problems.
An outstanding save by Kristoffer Nordfeldt stopped Abraham getting a second in the second half that would have killed off the Swans.
“Abraham knows he should have been going off with the match ball after a hat-trick,” said Smith.
“But Abraham worked very hard. There is no doubt he is a talent.”
Abraham scored goals for Swansea in the Championship and Bruce had faith in him do- ing the same and firing Villa to promotion.
Bruce isn’t going to get the benefit of it now, of course, but it could be a great inheritance for Smith.
Abraham took his early goal well, heading in from close range but under pressure and when he could have had a second from about six yards, Nordfeldt flew to save.
There should have been more goals from Villa before halftime.
James Chester slid in and almost got to Jack Grealish’s pass in the 21st minute and Nyland got one hand to an Albert Adomah cross that turned itself into a dangerous shot. Cian Harries, who began his career in Villa’s academy before moving on to Coventry, had to have his wits about him on his league debut for Swansea.
At times Harries and his two fellow defenders in a back three were stretched in the first half, but not to breaking point again.
“Villa were the better team in the first half,” admitted Swans boss Graham Potter.
“It was a day of emotion for a big club, but maybe we deserved a point for our performance in the second half.
“It was a good experience for my young side. Based on our overall performance I feel we can do better. But it is a case of a work in progress.”