Video Aston Villa 2 - 0 Swansea City

This was one of those days when everything went right for Paul Lambert. His policy of picking up players from the lower leagues will no longer seem like such a gamble if Matthew Lowton's first goal for the club proves to be a sign of things to come and the Villa manager was also able to enjoy the sight of Christian Benteke, a £7m deadline-day signing from Genk, adding a late second on his debut.

It was Villa's first Premier League win in 14 attempts, stretching back to mid-March, and thoroughly deserved. They grew in belief as the game went on and would have added a second goal long before but for Michel Vorm's goalkeeping and some last ditch Swansea defending. Swansea, who started the day in second place, were a huge disappointment. They never recovered from the setback of going behind to Lowton's fine volley and their miserable afternoon was complete when Ashley Williams's mistake gifted Benteke a chance to open his Villa account and inflict Swansea's first defeat of the season.

Lowton's goal had come slightly against the run of play on a day when Villa's four new signings all started on the bench. Swansea, quick to impose their incisive passing game and full of confidence after beginning the season so well, started brightly, and but for two superb saves from Brad Guzan in the space of little more than 30 seconds, would have taken an early lead.

The first chance came from a set-piece, when Ashley Williams met Jonathan De Guzman's corner with a powerful header that forced Guzan into an instinctive save. Villa never managed to clear the danger and when the ball later dropped at the feet of Nathan Dyer, about 20 yards from goal and on a slight angle, the winger curled an exquisite shot that was heading for the top corner until Guzan stuck out a hand and flicked it over the bar.

Villa had looked a little anxious but Lowton's bolt from the blue encouraged them to play with a touch more confidence. While there was much to admire about the 23-year-old's technique, as he brought the ball down with his chest and connected with a sweet left-footed volley from 25 yards, after Barry Bannan's corner had only been half cleared, Vorm did not exactly cover himself in glory in goal, with the Dutchman appearing to dive outside the line of the ball.

The goal knocked Swansea out of their stride and it was not until a minute before the interval, when Danny Graham failed to connect with an inviting cross from Dyer, that the visitors seriously threatened again. By that point they could easily have been two-nil down but Vorm, looking much more convincing on this occasion, dived low to his left to deny Andreas Weimann, after the Villa forward had linked adroitly with Darren Bent.

Villa took the game to Swansea at the start of the second half and ought to have extended their lead. Ciaran Clark, flicking the ball with the outside of his boot, was thwarted by Vorm at the near post and two minutes later Leon Britton cleared off the line, through the combination of his head and left knee, after Weimann had pirouetted on the edge of the six-yard box.

Swansea's goal was living a charmed life and Michael Laudrup responded by making a change, withdrawing Wayne Routledge and giving a debut to Pablo Hernandez.

It was Villa, though, who continued to press. Clark had a header tipped over and Karim El Ahmadi's shot was turned behind by the increasingly overworked Vorm. Swansea did have a late chance to level but Luke Moore, returning to his first club, headed straight at Guzan. Finally the home supporters could breath easily, when Benteke pounced after Williams failed to get enough on a headed backpass. Lambert punched the air in delight.