Swanseawinninguglybutfor GardeandVillait’splainugly

AN ugly goal and an ugly performance but a win that takes Swansea City a big step closer to survival. As for Aston Villa, it will take more than a shake-up of the men in suits to save their sorry season.

At the end of a week in which Villa parted company with their chief executive and sporting director, their playing staff proved once again why they are such a hopelessly lost cause.

This, believe it or not, was one of their better performances. They had numerous chances in a first half that would have been woeful from two sides struggling in League One, let alone the Championship, which is where this fixture might still be played next season. But for all of Villa’s opportunities — 11 shots — only two efforts were on target and neither required a decent save.

They are 12 points off 17th and the romance of this season has passed them by. In this, their sixth straight defeat, they were undone by something of a fluke, with a ball deflecting off Federico Fernandez’s shoulder and in after 53 minutes. Based on the first half, it was more than Swansea were worth; based on the second, when Leon Britton came on and applied composure, the result was about right.

It takes Swansea to 36 points and in sight of their goal. Francesco Guidolin, on the sideline after three games away with a chest infection, has done what he was brought in to do, even if there is doubt over whether he will get a contract extension beyond the season.

He said: ‘The victory was all that mattered. I know the performance was not very good but this is the match I was waiting for. Norwich won so we are still not safe.

‘In the future, the club, the fans and everyone involved need to make sure we are not in this situation again.’

Villa manager Remi Garde, meanwhile, had the look of a broken man. He said: ‘They shot once on goal and scored. That is hard to take.

‘Until it is not possible to stay up why should we give up? We have shown the opposite spirit of teams that give up.’

For Swansea there was next to nothing of note until Britton’s inclusion and the goal. Oddly, Guidolin had opted to start Gylfi Sigurdsson out on the left wing. It was his free-kick that led to Swansea’s winner.

Brad Guzan got a hand on the delivery but pushed the ball onto Fernandez’s shoulder, from where it bounced back into the goal.