A wasteful West Ham and heroics from Guzan finally give

ONE run has ended and another continued, but only Paul Lambert had cause to smile about this result.

Sam Allardyce was far more preoccupied with how this one got away, even if it did mean West Ham have now gone five matches unbeaten in this excellent season of personal vindication.

Make no mistake, this game was there for the taking for a free-scoring team who suddenly got the jitters in front of goal. Never was that more obvious than in the frenzied late stages of the second half.

Diafra Sakho, the Premier League player of the month for October, was guilty of one woeful header, Carl Jenkinson of another.

When Andy Carroll (right) came on in stoppage time for his first appearance of the season, he caused mayhem in the air. Of course he did. What an asset he could be in this attack if his fitness holds up, but even his headers could find no way past Brad Guzan.

‘The sad thing is that when our finishing was very good their goalkeeper was even better,’ Allardyce said. ‘Other times I was a little disappointed with the finishing, given how good it has been. We are a little frustrated and disappointed, but we couldn’t do any more. We have to respect the point.’ A point flattered Aston Villa and delighted Lambert, their manager. Six defeats in a row was their worst top-flight run since 1964. At least that streak has gone, even if the hard times show no obvious sign of ending. ‘It was a really great point,’ Lambert said. ‘Brad Guzan did what he is paid for. His save at the end was world class. He’s a top guy, a top pro. ‘We put our bodies on the line and it is a massive point for us. Credit to the team, they took a lot of stick at times.’

Indeed, it really has been a tough season for them, even if Lambert insisted confidence is good. He also