West Brom couldn’t give their fans a festive victory. But boy, did it feel like one.

The deafening roar that rang around The Hawthorns at the final whistle was proof if needed that this was no ordinary goalless draw. It was a special occasion to end a special year.

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A fabulous Boxing Day display in another Christmas cracker ensured Roy Hodgson’s men rounded off a memorable 2011 with one last unforgettable day.

And the scintillating, sensational performance that brought the Manchester City steamroller grinding to a temporary halt offered further hope that 2012 could be something special, too.

With a fine all-round effort, Hodgson’s side became the first Premier League team this season to shut out a City side who have swept aside all-comers including their illustrious title rivals.

Albion climbed a place in the table and gave City a major scare into the bargain.

And they did it all with the kind of performance that would have been inconceivable under Hodgson’s two immediate predecessors, even allowing for the major contributions both Tony Mowbray and Roberto Di Matteo made to putting Albion where they find themselves today.

The determination and spirit that underpinned yesterday’s efforts were present in both Mowbray’s free-spirited promotion-winners and Di Matteo’s expressive sides, with swashbuckling comebacks commonplace under both men.

Yet the organisation and clarity of purpose that allowed the Baggies to blunt the country’s most razor-sharp attack on a rousing afternoon at The Hawthorns is the added, Hodgson-inspired ingredient that might yet help Albion break through their own glass ceiling to finally move beyond perennial survival scraps.

The stand-out individual efforts of defenders Billy Jones, Gareth McAuley and Jonas Olsson were the most notable features of a well-deserved draw.

But, to borrow a well-worn football cliché, it was Albion’s commitment to defending from the front that really helped them pull off a famous result.

They had their share of fortune, with David Silva missing a gilt-edged chance, Sergio Aguero heading wide and Mario Balotelli rattling Ben Foster’s crossbar.

But it could have been even better for Albion had Jerome Thomas not been denied by the City woodwork or scrambling keeper Joe Hart not turned Paul Scharner’s low shot around the post.

The first half was an intriguing tale of Albion resilience and counter-attacking potency in the face of City’s territorial dominance.

But the second 45 minutes was an end-to-end, thrill-a-minute belter in which either team could, at any given time, have seized the moment and won the day.

As early as the third minute, Albion’s ability to threaten their visitors on the break was evident as a neat five-man move ended with Thomas feeding Chris Brunt and the Baggies skipper turning smartly on the edge of the box to smash a left-footed shot just beyond the far post.

And another purposeful break by the Baggies resulted in Scharner seizing on a loose ball 20 yards out and fizzing in a low shot that forced Hart into frantic action.

Aguero miscued a header the wrong side of the post before Samir Nasri fired tamely at Foster.

And Balotelli had a ‘goal’ chalked off for offside as the visitors ratcheted up the pressure before the interval.

But Albion’s disciplined, tireless efforts ensured they reached the break with the scoresheet blank and Foster not unduly troubled.

Balotelli’s moment of invention on the left touchline gave the Baggies a scare early in the second half as he tried his luck with a dipping right-footed shot that left Foster grasping at air and praying that the woodwork would save the hosts.

The crossbar obliged before the formidable McAuley pulled off his own finest moment of a fabulous game, sliding in to divert an Aguero shot wide.

Yet as the half progressed the Baggies grew in confidence and began to fully stretch City in a way even the noisy home faithful had barely dared to imagine.

Thomas saw his firm, low shot thud agonisingly back off the base of an upright.

But that moment typified a positive, determined display by the Baggies.

City made changes and switched tactics but there was no way through.

And the final whistle brought an outpouring of pride and joy that typified an unforgettable calendar year for Albion.

It was a fitting way to end 2011. And Albion fans can only hope it was a tantalising trailer for 2012.