West Ham missed the chance to go level on points with Nottingham Forest one place above the bottom three in their goalless draw with in-form Bournemouth at the London Stadium.
Both goalkeepers were standout performers to keep out their opponents, most notably when away goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic made a crucial save to keep out substitute Callum Wilson deep into the second half.
Andoni Iraola’s men, now unbeaten in seven, largely dictated the tempo and looked most dangerous with Rayan leading the charge, but were short of finding the clinical edge to go within two points of Europa League qualification.
As it happened
New Hammers centre-back Axel Disasi almost found the net inside the first minute, flicking a header towards goal from a corner but Djordje Petrovic reacted well to palm it off the line.
Taty Castellanos kept up the hosts’ fine start, backheeling to Tomas Soucek and getting the return pass before he curled in a cross into Crysencio Summerville at the back post, but the Dutchman could only stab it right at Petrovic.
Bournemouth would respond through Brazilian youngster Rayan, with the winger’s low shot bouncing across the turf and comfortably into the arms of Mads Hermansen.
But chances for either team were few and far between as the quality of football on show declined by some margin, despite the best efforts of a lively Summerville on the left wing.
The visitors controlled much of the ball but West Ham held firm and were compact in their shape off the ball, offering very little space in behind right up to the half time whistle.
Petrovic was forced to beat away an in-swinging corner that seemed as though it was heading in, only for the whistle to signal he had been fouled – the closest West Ham came to a goal until Mateus Fernandes fired wide on the hour.
Rayan burst into a dazzling run from inside his own half after a Hammers free kick was dealt with, ghosting past three home players and rifling a powerful shot against the outside of the post.
It was easily his side’s best moment of the contest, and it had taken them 63 minutes.
Not long after substitute David Brookes go close with an effort inside the penalty area blocked, an ambitious overhead kick from Castellanos flew just wide after Bowen clipped in a neat cross from the right.
Callum Wilson was then denied a goal off the bench as Petrovic managed to save the striker’s glanced touch sending Malick Diouf’s cross towards goal from six yards out.
Hermansen was on form along with his counterpart, and produced a big stop to keep out the low drive of Alex Scott with his left boot from the edge of the penalty area as time ticked away.
The hosts went very close of a winner in the 94th minute, with no surprises seeing Summerville breaking away with pace following a Bournemouth free kick, but Bowen lifted the shot over the crossbar with Senesi closing in fast.
It was a mixed reaction from the home fans as the full time whistle blew, with some applause mixed together with boos after the Hammers refused to capitalize on a Cherries side that didn’t reach the heights of their past matches.
The result puts Nuno Espirito Santo’s team two points adrift of Forest before their match tomorrow.