Aston Villa Women 0-0 West Ham Women: Strugglers play out entertaining goalless draw
- Published
Relegation-threatened Aston Villa played out an entertaining goalless draw with fellow Women's Super League strugglers West Ham.
The Hammers had a brilliant chance to open the scoring before the break but two players got in one another's way.
Villa striker Shania Hayles shot at visiting goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold in the first minute of the second half.
Martha Thomas and Emily van Egmond both hit the Villa crossbar as West Ham came closest to a late winner.
The draw moved Villa two points clear of bottom side Bristol City, who lost 1-0 to Manchester United.
West Ham, who showed more quality throughout and created most of the game's best chances, are three points clear of the relegation zone going into next week's final round of matches.
Villa, promoted to the top flight last season, travel to the league's form side Arsenal while West Ham finish with a home game against second-placed Manchester City.
The situation at the bottom could change because Birmingham, who are two points off bottom, are subject to the outcome of Football Association charges for playing midfielder Ruesha Littlejohn against Reading last month when she should have been suspended.
The hosts had let leads slip in time added on in their previous two games, against fellow strugglers Bristol City and Birmingham, and nearly conceded a crucial goal in injury time for the third straight match when Van Egmond hit the bar.
Thomas had done the same a few minute earlier before Villa goalkeeper Lisa Weiss bravely clawed the ball away on the rebound, while Kenza Dali forced Weiss into a good reaction save and fired a low effort just past the post as the Hammers finished the game strongly.
Marcus Bignot's side's best chance fell to Hayles just after the interval but she mis-kicked two efforts directly at Arnold after being played in behind.
