Allardyce praise for West Ham’s backs to the wall defending
WEST BROMWICH ALBION 0 vs WEST HAM UNITED 0
WEST HAM manager Sam Allardyce hailed his team’s resolute defending as yesterday’s goalless draw at the Hawthorns earned the Hammers their first clean sheet in six games.
Allardyce’s men had gone a goal behind in each of their previous five Premier League games, yet managed to hold out against a determined West Brom side.
“Overall we’re very pleased with a draw – we’ve obviously got back to our ways in terms of defending correctly,” Allardyce said.
“We kept it at 0-0 and if we’d have found a bit more quality in the final third we may have done a little more to try and score – we didn’t, but it was a very good, solid defensive performance.”
West Brom managed 20 attempts at West Ham’s goal, yet it was the visitors who came closest in the first half. A West Ham corner was nodded down by James Collins only for Winston Reid to turn the ball over from six yards.
Just minutes into the second half, a West Brom corner was dangerously turned back in by Zoltan Gera, but James Morrison’s header crashed against the bar.
The home side pressed on in search of a first league win in four attempts, yet West Ham also came close when Gary O’Neil curled a shot narrowly wide. The draw leaves West Brom sixth in the table, while West Ham sit in 11th place.