Aston Villa ended their run of six consecutive defeats in the Premier League on Saturday with a goalless draw away to West Ham United.
The hosts had the better chances throughout the match, but Villa's defensive heroics saw them come away from East London with a credible point.
The result has edged the Villans further away from the relegation zone, while West Ham have sneaked into the top four despite not finding the net.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the teams at Upton Park.
Match statistics
West Ham
Shots: 21
On target: 5
Possession: 59%
Corners: 13
Fouls: 9
Aston Villa
Shots: 12
On target: 4
Possession: 41%
Corners: 2
Fouls: 10
Was the result fair?
The statistics make it clear that West Ham were all over Villa and should have come away with the points. However, some poor finishing and a robust defence from the visitors thwarted the hosts on a day when they could have won 4-0.
West Ham's performance
The Hammers did not always have things their own way, but they dominated for much of the match and really should have won. Their approach was in line with how Sam Allardyce has wanted them to play in recent weeks: expansive, quick, attacking football that stretches the opposition and tries to keep them on the back foot. All of this was achieved, but some questionable finishing and solid defending from Villa ultimately saw them fail to make their dominance count. That said, they will not be too downhearted about not earning the win. The display was positive and did not suggest that the levels of the players have dropped.
Aston Villa's performance
Paul Lambert's side occasionally looked dangerous going forward through the likes of Gabriel Agbonlahor and Charles N'Zogbia, but this result was all down to their defensive prowess. Ron Vlaar provided the visitors with superb leadership at the back, while Nathan Baker threw himself at everything in the name of not losing. By the end Villa were practically stuck inside their own penalty area, yet they somehow kept West Ham out thanks to a combination of good fortune and bravery. While a goalless draw at Upton Park might not be the most eye-catching of results, Villa can certainly build on this going forward considering that they lost their six previous matches.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Ron Vlaar: Villa's captain was fantastic at the back, blocking and tackling everything that came his way during a testing 90 minutes for the away side. He had to be particularly focused in the final 10 minutes as West Ham threw everything at the visitors in the hope of scoring the game's winning goal, but Vlaar and his defensive colleagues refused to cave in.
Biggest gaffe
Diafra Sakho, who has not been able to stop scoring all season, missed a great opportunity with 12 minutes left when he headed Carlton Cole's cross over the bar with no-one around him. Most of Upton Park thought that the ball was going to hit the back of the net when he jumped up to nod it goalwards, but he got it all wrong.
Referee performance
Jon Moss had to show his authority once or twice during the game as both sides grew occasionally frustrated, but overall the official had a relatively quiet afternoon in the middle. It took him until the 69th minute to book his first player, which goes some way to demonstrating how much he was willing to let the game flow.
What next?
West Ham: The Hammers are back in action next Saturday when they travel to Everton in the Premier League.
Aston Villa: The Villans continue their Premier League campaign next Monday with the visit of Southampton.
Jack Prescott
