Irons in charge but Villa fail to read script

NobleWest Ham 0 Aston Villa 0

Villa obviously hadn’t read the script…this wasn’t how it was supposed to be! 

And had Mark Noble (right) converted perhaps the best chance of the game after just six minutes it might have been very different but instead he directed a header way over the top from one of the Irons 13 corners. Villa managed just two.

It really was a great chance and could easily be seen as the defining moment of a match in which the visitors provided much tougher opposition than their league position and six straight defeats coming into the game suggested they might.

The Hammers dominated the first 45 minutes but created nothing like as good a chance as the one that fell to Noble again.

Indeed, the best chance – next to that – fell to Villa’s Gabby Agbonlahor seven minutes later when drifting past two defenders but lashing over the top.

But that was a brief interlude in the one way pressure which saw James Collins direct a downward header at the near post which Brad Guzan saved before Ron Vlaar made a fine interception and Noble saw a shot shot parried away by the busy Villa keeper.

He was a lucky boy though when coming a long way off his line though and becoming  a spectator as Sakho got there first but directed his header wide.  Downing then blazed high and wide on the stroke of half time.

Chances were fewer in the second half but Villa went close when Tom Cleverley fired narrowly over the top and Carlos Sanchez’s instant shot was well saved by Adrian.

The Hammers were running out of ideas but Sakho headed narrowly wide just before Guzan made a sensational save from Andy Carroll, on as a very late sub.

 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon