Match report from the afternoon away draw versus Aston Villa
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Aston Villa's slump in playing fortunes continued when they failed yet again to win at Villa Park as West Ham salvaged a point with a late equaliser.
Villa have now gone 11 league and cup games without a win and the point they collected from West Ham was only their third in eight matches.
Yet again Villa had most of the play but they failed to capitalise on Emile Heskey's 11th-minute strike and it is obvious how much they have missed the influence of Martin Laursen who has been absent since Villa began their poor run.
West Ham were always potentially dangerous with their cultured play and they collected a valuable away point thanks to Diego Tristan's 85th-minute equaliser.
For a long spell it appeared as if Villa were heading for their fourth 1-0 win in the last five games against the Hammers but the London side were certainly worth their point.
Villa were extremely lucky not to be a goal down in the second minute of the match. The Birmingham club, forced to play in their third-choice all-white strip because of a clash with West Ham's second-choice shirts, were easily penetrated by a defence-splitting pass from Mark Noble.
Junior Stanislas went through by himself and it was only a brilliant save by Brad Friedel which prevented the Hammers taking a shock lead.
Stanislas collected another astute pass only for James Milner to produce a timely tackle to prevent a shot on target.
Villa's reply was a Gareth Barry header from Nicky Shorey's cross which went just wide.
But there was no mistake in the tenth minute when Barry put Milner in possession and the former Newcastle winger put over a cross which Heskey converted for his second goal in nine games.
West Ham, chasing a top-seven spot and a place in Europe next term, were denied an equaliser by another Friedel save from David Di Michele with James Tomkins lashing the rebound over the bar.
With so much open play and with both defences in a seemingly carefree mood chances abounded at both ends.
Ashley Young clipped the post, while Heskey latched onto a back-pass from Noble only to see his effort smash against the post.
Some smart attacking play, inspired by Noble, generated several good openings for West Ham but Villa held on to their slender lead as a result of fine work by the likes of Barry, Milner and Stilyan Petrov.
Heskey was Villa's dangerman and he was prevented from notching a second goal following a clever flipped pass from John Carew when Robert Green closed the angle to block the England striker's close-range shot.
Strangely Villa struggled to finish off West Ham. They continued to create several good openings but the lack of real finishing power enabled West Ham to remain in contention.
Villa's defence was at panic stations with only 12 minutes remaining as they failed dismally to clear their lines. Only another good save by Friedel from Luis Boa Morte kept their goal intact.
But in the 84th minute Kieron Dyer's shot was instinctively headed home by Tristan to keep the storm clouds over Villa Park. |
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