Dean Smith: Danny Ings in running for Goal of the Season

Dean Smith believes Danny Ings is already in the running for goal of the season after his stunning effort sparked Villa to victory over Newcastle.

Aston Villa's Danny Ings celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at Villa Park, Birmingham. Picture date: Saturday August 21, 2021. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Villa. Photo credit should read: David Davies/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.

Ings, on his home debut following a £25million summer move from Southampton, broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when he fired home an acrobatic scissor kick.

Anwar El Ghazi then doubled Villa’s advantage with a second half penalty as Smith’s men picked up their first win of the season.

Ings’ goal lit up what had been, to that point, a rather scrappy game, while also bringing to life the first capacity crowd at Villa Park for more than 18 months.

Smith said: “Danny has done what he has done to ourselves and a lot of other clubs. It is great to see him doing that in a Villa shirt scoring a goal like that.

“He scored a 20-yarder into the top corner against us last season so we know the kind of goals he can score.

“It was a super finish and one which will probably be on the list for goal of the season after just the second game.

“But it was what we needed because we had been OK in the first-half. But it didn’t look like the deadlock was going to be broken until that happened.”

Smith conceded Villa had not been at their best, while they also had some assistance from VAR.

The penalty from which El Ghazi scored was awarded after referee David Coote consulted the pitchside monitor, having failed to spot Jamal Lascelles blocking Tyrone Mings’ header with his arm.

Newcastle then saw a spot-kick of their own chalked off when Callum Wilson was ruled to have been inches offside.

Smith added: “I thought it was an OK performance but a better result. It was better than last week at Watford when we lacked intensity.

“The fans were never going to allow us to do that and it was nice to get the win in front of them. But it was a hard-working performance. We had to battle and scrap and we had some decisions go our way too.”