Bafetimbi Gomis hit home a late goal to end Aston Villa's recent run of good form.
After having two earlier efforts thwarted, the Frenchman fired
home from 10 yards out with three minutes left to earn a win which moves the Swans into eighth in the Premier League.
His manager Garry Monk was full of praise for Gomis post match
saying: “From his last performance there is no stopping him. He persevered and
kept pushing and got his goal. It’s crucial for any player, that perseverance to
keep going.”
As for Aston Villa, it was back down to earth with a bump. After
successive wins against rivals West Brom, and hitting four past Sunderland last week, the Clarets had a reality check against an
organised and well drilled Swansea team and remain three points above
the relegation zone. Boss Tim Sherwood was disappointed to see his side lose late in a game for the second time in recent weeks. He said: “It was disappointing to lose in the Stoke game and it happened again today. I think we deserved a point. I
thought in the second period we were more likely to score.”
After the recent run of good form, Villa Park was almost full of
expectant fans but they left disappointed after Villa failed to break through a well organised Swansea midfield and back four marshalled by Ashley Williams and Frederico Fernandez. It took until the 31st minute for a Villa player to even register a shot on target with England international
Fabian Delph's left wing shot saved easily by Lukas Fabianski in the Swansea goal.
At the other end of the pitch, Gomis spurned two opportunities in the first half, thwarted by ‘keeper Brad Guzan while Villa defender Ciaran Clark blocked a goal-bound shot from Swans' winger Wayne Routledge.
The second half followed the same path as the first with Swansea’s
neat passing game helping Garry Monk's side to dominate possession for large parts of the
game but they couldn’t breach the Villa back four.
With 63 minutes gone, Monk threw on Jefferson Montero
and the injection of pace was the difference between the two teams. On 87 minutes. Wayne Routledge fed the ball
down the left and Montero played an inch perfect first time ball into the area where Gomis
got in front of Ciaran Clark and fired home.
Villa fans packed into in to the Holte End thought their team had equalised a minute later when Fabien Delph surged forward down the left and hit a superb pass to the right hand side of the Swansea goal where former Swans player Scott Sinclair looked odds-on to score but his powerful shot flew inches over.
Villa boss Sherwood admitted his team were still in the relegation dogfight but welcomed the two week international break as a chance to get his injured players back fit.
"Every point is vital and we have to pick up as many as we can to make ourselves safe," he said.
Villa fans packed into in to the Holte End thought their team had equalised a minute later when Fabien Delph surged forward down the left and hit a superb pass to the right hand side of the Swansea goal where former Swans player Scott Sinclair looked odds-on to score but his powerful shot flew inches over.
Villa boss Sherwood admitted his team were still in the relegation dogfight but welcomed the two week international break as a chance to get his injured players back fit.
"Every point is vital and we have to pick up as many as we can to make ourselves safe," he said.
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