Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge ensured Swansea started 2012 off in the best possible fashion as they saw off Aston Villa to record their first away win of the season.

The Swans last top flight victory on their travels came in 1982 but they headed back to the Liberty Stadium with three precious points in the bag courtesy of Dyer and Routledge. The former was a constant menace throughout the game and took only four minutes to get on the scoresheet before Routledge wrapped up the win two minutes after half time with the first Premier League goal of his career. It put Brendan Rodgers side eight points clear of the relegation zone and finally ended a dreadful record on the road that had seen them go winless for nine game before their visit to Villa Park. The defeat will be hard to swallow for the Alex McLeish who was hoping his side could build on their impressive 3-1 win against Chelsea on New Years Eve but saw his players serve up another sub-standard display.

McLeish will be the first to admit his side never recovered from going a goal down so early in the game and will be unhappy with Steven Warnock who's weak pass allowed Dyer to nip in and charge towards goal before finishing emphatically past Brad Guzan. Andrea Orlandi then lashed a shot just wide of the post as he tried to mark his first Premier League start in style before Dyer's cross-shot sailed just over the bar. Villa's attacking intentions weren't lacking either although James Collins should have tested Michel Vorm with a header before Guzan kept out Danny Graham at the other end before the striker miscued his effort after being teed up by Orlandi.

Villa just couldn't handle the speed at which Swansea attacked and any hope of a comeback from the home side were extinguished soon after the restart with Routledge grabbing the crucial second. Guzan's rushed clearance saw the ball make it's way to the winger who cut in from the left before playing the ball off to Graham who saw his strike hit the post and fall invitingly for Routledge who smashed the ball home. McLeish's side responded immediately and Stephen Ireland saw his strike just sail well wide of Vorm's goal before Richard Dunne looped a header over the bar. Charles N'Zogbia then thought he had beaten the Dutch keeper only to see his strike thunder back off the woodwork as Swansea leapfrogged Villa into 11th.

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