Swansea City 0-0 West Bromwich Albion: Visitors knocked off top spot in draw
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Swansea's Joe Rodon receives treatment to a head injury against West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion were knocked off the top of the Championship after a goalless draw at Swansea City.
Slaven Bilic's team were leapfrogged by Leeds United as play-off hopefuls Swansea deservedly claimed a share of the spoils.
Albion had hoped to respond after suffering a first defeat in seven league games against Wigan Athletic.
But they struggled to break down a Swansea side who created the game's clearest opportunities.
Albion remain six points clear of third-placed Fulham with nine games to play this season, while the draw sees Steve Cooper's Swansea close the gap on the top six to three points even though they slip to 11th in the table.
It was Swansea who threatened first as defender Joe Rodon saw a header blocked after rising high to meet a Conor Gallagher free-kick, while Andre Ayew could not divert Rhian Brewster's drive goal-wards.
Albion were probing at the other end, but the team who began the day as the division's leading scorers struggled to open Swansea up.
Freddie Woodman was forced into action just once before the break, the on-loan Newcastle goalkeeper diving to his left to save Callum Robinson's shot after Swansea had given the ball away on the edge of their own box.
The breakthrough might have come seconds after the restart as Matt Grimes' drive was parried by Albion keeper Sam Johnstone and Jay Fulton sliced the rebound over the bar.
A low Grimes free-kick saw Fulton send another effort over the top before Romaine Sawyers' deflected long-ranger whistled over Woodman's goal.
Ayew then saw an overhead kick drift too high before Albion skipper Jake Livermore shot wastefully off target in the dying minutes.
Swansea head coach Steve Cooper said:
"We don't want to sing and dance about a draw at home, but at the same time there were a lot of positives to come out of the game that can help us in the final run-in.
"We can be optimistic. We are down a place in the league and a point closer to the play-offs - that sums up the Championship doesn't it?
"It's nine games to go, three points away from getting over the dotted line.
"There are worse places to be. I think about some of the teams who are below us who would do anything to be in the position we are in. We are only thinking really positively and we are going for this."
West Brom manager Slaven Bilic said:
"We aren't over the moon, but it's a tough place to come because they have a team who have been very unlucky with recent results.
"It's good to get the clean sheet with a solid performance and to more or less control the game, but we know have to be better in terms of quality in the final third. That's what was missing today.
"I would love to be on the top spot but it doesn't worry me. The results apart from Leeds and Brentford were okay. At this stage of the season, the results around you affect the valuation of the point.
"Considering the bigger picture, this was a good point."