Pictures and analysis of West Brom 0 West Ham 0

West Brom's winter wobble was extended on a frustrating afternoon at the Hawthorns.

But Steve Clarke and Co at least had some pre-Christmas encouragement to send them into their festive fixtures in decent heart.

Try as they might, the Baggies could not find a way through a stubborn West Ham defence as the winless run – that began with them third in the Premier League – was extended to four games.

Yet Clarke's men hammered hard enough on the visitors' door in the second half to suggest the sparkling form that propelled them into the top three in November is still bubbling away.

After a first-half that was flat in the stands and dire on the field, the hosts dominated the second period.

Only the Hammers' woodwork and a couple of crucial defensive interceptions denied Clarke the victory over his former employers that his current side's overall display merited.

But West Brom, rediscovering some of the attacking zest that had deserted them in their three previous matches, found that fortune had abandoned them against a Sam Allardyce side who were content after half-time to settle for a draw.

Christmas will bring with it some fixtures that Albion will view as an opportunity to cement their position in the upper echelons of the top flight.

Despite yesterday's scoreline, they should now attack them with some of their early-season momentum restored.

They made a positive start yesterday and only a smart interception from Winston Reid prevented Shane Long getting on the end of a decent through ball in the opening stages.

But verve drained away as the first half wore on with Boaz Myhill, playing his seventh game in place of injured No 1 Ben Foster, smothering a dangerous centre from Matt Taylor as Matt Jarvis lurked on the edge of the six-yard box.

There were a couple of efforts at goal from the Baggies, first when James Morrison blasted a shot a yard wide from outside the area after a link-up between Peter Odemwingie and Chris Brunt.

Then Long wriggled free of two defenders just inside the box and flashed an effort wide. Both Odemwingie and Brunt tried their luck from distance, too, but saw their efforts held comfortably by Jussi Jaaskelainen in the Hammers' goal.

West Brom had held the edge for the opening half-hour but it was the visitors who should have gone ahead on 32 minutes from a corner.

James Collins leapt highest to nod down Mark Noble's flag-kick and Reid, at full stretch, sent a shot over the bar.

Long-range shots continued to provide the best chance of an opener and Myhill had to parry uncomfortably from a Carlton Cole effort that swerved wickedly.

But there was no breakthrough before the interval as a dour first half had an appropriately tepid end.

West Brom made a purposeful start to the second period and forced a succession of corners, two of which almost brought goals.

One flag kick was helped across the face of goal by Zoltan Gera for Morrison, whose effort struck Reid and looped over.

Another was cleared as far as Morrison, who misdirected a shot well wide. But the Hammers went even closer moments later when Gary O'Neil bent a long-range effort fractionally off target.

Youssouf Mulumbu rolled a shot wide for the Baggies after smart build-up play by Odemwingie, while Noble sent an effort into the side netting after a sharp turn in the Baggies' six-yard box.

However, after a brief increase in the tempo at the beginning of the second period, the game soon slipped back into its pre-interval tempo and became scrappy again.

There was a momentary outbreak of excitement when another long-range effort, this time by Gera, bounced awkwardly in front of Jaaskelainen and was spilled by the keeper, but Long was unable to direct his difficult follow-up.

A tactical switch then saw Odemwingie moved from his central starting position to a wider role.

And the Nigeria star tormented Guy Demel and almost handed the opening goal on a plate for Long, who was only denied by Reid's vital interception.

The Baggies' dominance increased as the second half progressed with the Hammers seemingly content to defend.

And the visitors were almost breached with 17 minutes remaining when Morrison crashed a header against the crossbar from a Brunt corner.

It was a moment that summed up Albion's superiority, but underlined the day's frustrations.

By Steve Madeley