Dean Smith shares his half-time team-talk during Aston Villa’s match with Swansea

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Aston Villa managed to run out 1-0 winners on Boxing Day, with Dean Smith’s side picking up an important three points.

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has revealed to the club’s official Twitter account that he was encouraging towards his team at half-time at Swansea City.

Villa managed to pick up a 1-0 win at the Liberty Stadium yesterday, but it was their second half performance which really impressed.

Villa were outplayed in the early stages of the contest, and Smith was forced into a tactical reshuffle.

The Villans boss switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation to try and get his side on the ball more and as soon as he made the tactical switch he felt that Villa started to grow into the match.

Smith was encouraged that Villa could push on after the break, and his team-talk had the desired impact.

“I thought we finished the first-half better,” he said. “We had to change the system because they were getting too much ball. We matched it up and went 4-2-3-1 and I thought it helped us.

“We said to the lads start as you’ve just left off. I thought we did that and I thought we should have had a penalty when John was bundled over. I thought we shaded the game.”

Villa went on to score in the second period when Conor Hourihane headed home the winner.

The Irishman broke into the box to latch on to a cross and nod the ball in from close range.

It was an important victory for a Villa side whose form has dipped slightly in recent times.

Villa are now up to ninth place in the Championship table, just three points away from the play offs.