WHUFC.com
The manager had every reason to praise the team's performance on Tuesday but not their finishing
02.11.2011
Sam Allardyce could not fault his team's play in the goalless draw against Bristol City but lamented the inability to take just one of the 19 chances created. Such profligacy meant a promising home performance that rivalled the 4-0 defeat of Blackpool and 3-2 win against Leicester in the previous two Boleyn encounters ultimately ended in a frustrating manner. Still, Big Sam stressed that seven points from the last nine was promotion form and enough to send the Hammers to Hull City on Saturday in strong spirits. "I suppose we have to accept days like this," he said. "We just lacked the cutting edge that we had on Saturday when we were so sharp [against Leicester]. It is amazing, just 72 hours ago we were striking balls into the back of the net. Tonight it just eluded us and they came and went on numerous occasions. It was not just one or two."
Bristol City, as was to be expected given their last-placed position, were in defensive mood but the manager praised the way his team found space to create clear-cut openings time and again in front of David James' goal. "I thought the lads did exceedingly well. We had 19 attempts on goal, ten on target, but unfortunately didn't convert one of them into the goal we should have done - particularly at the start of the second half when the chances came thick and fast. "Unfortunately for us we just have to accept the point."
Saturday's two-goal hero Sam Baldock had a "quiet night" while Freddie Piquionne, in for knee injury victim John Carew, had several opportunities but spurned them all. Freddie Sears, playing wide left in place of the rested Jack Collison, had an early effort crash against the post while Mark Noble went close right at the death with a header from close range. "We could go on and on with the amount of chances we missed," the manager added. "That all-important victory would have been well-deserved, the way we played means we should have won it. It is frustrating night and that can happen. I have to praise the lads for how they created and committed themselves. "We have had 29 crosses so it showed that the creativity was good but the end product to put one in the back of the net we haven't managed. We are all very sick in the dressing room as we know that performance should have reaped us the valuable three points. We have to take it on the chin. We haven't lost, we know we should have won but we take the point and we move on."
Carew will have his injury assessed on Wednesday but is doubtful for the weekend while Winston Reid's dislocated shoulder that caused his early substitution is even more cause for concern. The New Zealand defender went to hospital for a scan before returning before the end of the game. "If we are lucky he will be out for four to five weeks, if it doesn't need an operation or pinning. It does mean I'll need to go out and look in the market for a loan player for that period of time if I can find one.
"If you look at what we have had to suffer in terms of changes through injuries, our performances in those circumstances has been outstanding. We are a team that has constantly changed its personnel but is still producing attacking football and chances. This was an even better performance than against Leicester but didn't get the win. "We are looking very much forward to the international break. It will be well received. We have to keep the run of results going and come away with points at Hull City before that. "It will be a difficult game, but if we can get the same performance I think we can win there, and then look to resolve some of our problems over the international break and perhaps add to the squad with a loan player."
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Baldock the SBOBET winner
WHUFC.com
Hammers striker Sam Baldock has been recognised for his goalscoring efforts in the last month
01.11.2011
Sam Baldock has been voted the SBOBET Player of the Month for October 2011 after the latest supporter poll. The in-form striker took 60.4 per cent of the fan vote, with his nearest rival being Winston Reid on 14.1 per cent. Baldock shone throughout October but most notably scored twice on two occasions - the 4-0 home defeat of Blackpool and the 3-2 win against Leicester at the Boleyn last Saturday. Still only 22, Baldock follows on from Henri Lansbury (September) and James Tomkins (August) as winners of the SBOBET monthly prize, which is hosted on whufc.com. The forward has certainly had a week to remember, having also been named in the npower Championship team of the week for his display against Leicester.
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West Ham 0 - 0 Bristol City
Page last updated at 22:45 GMT, Tuesday, 1 November 2011
BBC.co.uk
West Ham fell five points behind Championship leaders Southampton after drawing a blank against Bristol City. The home team came close after a quarter of an hour when Freddie Sears' curling, long-range strike hit a post. But Neil Kilkenny almost scored for the away team when his low shot also clipped a post. In the second half, City keeper David James twice kept out Frederic Piquionne headers and was also alert to stop a strike from captain Kevin Nolan. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has spent the week brushing off criticism of his side's style of play, claiming teams that gain promotion need to know how to win ugly. But the Hammers were unable to do that on this occasion and this stalemate, against a side who were bottom at kick-off, left the home fans further frustrated.
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Reid set for lengthy lay-off
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 2nd November 2011
By: Staff Writer
Winston Reid could be out for several weeks after dislocating a shoulder against Bristol City last night. The New Zealand international, who was beginning to become a regular fixture in Sam Allardyce's first team fell awkwardly after defending a cross in the opening minutes of the Championship fixture, that ended 0-0. After receiving several minutes' treatment on the pitch he was immediately substituited and left the field of play clutching his left arm. Speaking to reporters after the game, manager Allardyce confirmed the bad news. "He's been to hospital and the dislocated shoulder has been put back into place," he said - before revealing that he would be using the forthcoming two-week international break to find fresh blood. "It will be another search in the loan market very, very quickly to see if we can find a quality player who will help us with the numbers at the moment," said the Hammers boss.
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West Ham Utd 0 Bristol City 0
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 2nd November 2011
By: Staff Writer
A lack of creativity and failure to convert a string of chances cost West Ham two vital Championship points against bottom-placed Bristol City at the Boleyn Ground tonight. Despite creating 19 efforts on goal Sam Allardyce's side failed to convert a single one - and that was ultimately the difference between one point and three on a chilly night in east London. Despite that point being enough to keep the Hammers in second place (albeit five points behind leaders Southampton who beat Peterborough 2-1 tonight) Sam Allardyce will no doubt feel extremely frustrated at his team's inability to hit the back of the net.
The closest they came to doing so was after just 14 minutes when Freddie Sears - making only his second league start of the season - cut inside before firing a fierce drive against David James' far post. However West Ham contrived to waste a series of promising opportunities thereafter, resulting in the stalemate. United were always likely to struggle in front of goal having lost the squad's most creative players - namely Matt Taylor, David Bentley and Henri Lansbury - to injury. With struggling City content to resort to putting ten (sometimes eleven) men behind the ball - notably the first team to do so at the Boleyn this season -it was left to Sears and Julien Faubert to fashion chances from the flanks.
However their good work often went to waste with both Freddie Piquionne and Sam Baldock out of sorts and struggling to make an impact in limited space. City, although content to soak up the pressure exerted by West Ham did create chances of their own and could even have won the game in the closing minutes as United pushed for a winner. However that would have been a huge injustice to the Hammers who although profligate in front of goal produced enough to win most games with a degree of comfort.
* Riot Police were drafted in to deal with disturbances both before and after the game as a small group of Bristol City supporters, thought to number around 50, attacked small groups of Hammers supporters - including families. A window of the Queens Pub, close to Upton Park tube station was smashed during the disturbances. Some arrests are thought to have been made.
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Sam brushes off boos
West Ham boss pleased with performance despite lack of goals
Last Updated: November 1, 2011 11:29pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce brushed off the boos at the end of West Ham's goalless draw with Bristol City, whose boss Derek McInnes thought it was a good point. The second placed Hammers squandered a host of chances at Upton Park as they fell five points behind Championship leaders Southampton. Sections of the Upton Park faithful showed their frustration when Allardyce hauled off Saturday's two-goal hero Sam Baldock, and again at the final whistle. But Allardyce said: "Was it harsh? Absolutely, 100 per cent, yes.
Performance
"That's what fans can do if they feel we haven't won a game we should have won. But they can't be disappointed with the performance." Allardyce added: "It was a frustrating night for us all. "If you have 19 attempts on goal and 10 on target ultimately you expect win the game. But if the performances carry on like that we will win far more than we draw or lose. "I couldn't ask any more from the lads. We broke them down magnificently, created chances but couldn't find the finishing quality to get the ball into the net. But it was an outstanding performance."
Brighter future
For City, the future is suddenly looking brighter after they followed up their first victory in 10 weeks by grabbing a point which hauled them off the foot of the table.
McInnes said: "I thought we carried a threat the whole game and in the second half, when West Ham got the ball forward quicker, we stood up to it well. "Overall it's a good point for us. We started the day at the bottom and West Ham are second, they are among the favourites to go up and rightly so. "But it just shows that if you do enough of the right things on the night you can come away with a point, and we are delighted to get one."
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Hammers held by lowly Robins
Last updated: 1st November 2011
SSN
West Ham lost further ground to Championship leaders Southampton after a goalless draw against lowly Bristol City at Upton Park. Boss Sam Allardyce has this week brushed off criticism of his side's style of play, claiming teams that gain promotion need to know how to win ugly. But a stalemate at home to the side who kicked off propping up the division will be hard to stomach for the second-placed Hammers. In fairness they would surely have won at a canter had Frederic Piquionne's radar not deserted him in front of goal, while Kevin Nolan was twice denied by David James and Freddie Sears was a whisker away when he rattled a post. But City, full of confidence after a first win under new boss Derek McInnes on Saturday, were themselves a threat on the break and also hit the woodwork. Allardyce was forced into an early reshuffle when Winston Reid suffered a nasty shoulder injury defending a City corner in the seventh minute and had to be replaced by Abdoulaye Faye.
Nevertheless, the hosts almost opened the scoring after a quarter of an hour when young striker Sears curled his shot from outside the area onto the foot of the post.
Unfortunately, it was to be the closest they came all game.
Former Hammers keeper James kept out Piquionne's downward header with an extravagant diving save and also stuck out a hand to divert Nolan's low shot, but West Ham did not have everything their own way in the first half. Robert Green was fortunate to see Marvin Elliott's shot deflected straight at him and was even more relieved when Neil Kilkenny's daisy-cutter wrong-footed the home defence but clipped the side of the post. West Ham should have taken the lead on the stroke of half-time when Julien Faubert's cross was met by Piquionne but the French striker's header was too close to James.
Moments after the restart Piquionne fired another good opportunity into the side-netting and then headed straight at James again. None of skipper Nolan's four goals this season have come at Upton Park but he must have thought he was about to break his home duck when put through by Piquionne, only for James to spread himself well and save with his legs. Still the chances came and went, with Faubert blazing over the top and substitute Carlton Cole following suit. But the winner just would not come - and it could have been a whole lot worse for Allardyce but City sub Yannick Bolasie fired narrowly wide in the 89th minute and Green had to finger-tip a deflected corner wide in stoppage time. Nonetheless, City celebrated a hard-earned point to leave Allardyce and an increasingly disgruntled home faithful frustrated.
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West Ham 0 Bristol City 0
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: Today
The Sun
SAM ALLARDYCE blasted West Ham fans for booing them off. The Hammers failed to find the net after carving out more than a dozen chances as the promotion push faltered against stubborn City. Boss Allardyce admitted his frustration but hit out at the jeers. He rapped: "They can be disappointed with the result but not the performance. "It was 100 per cent harsh to boo. But it's what fans do when they think we haven't won a game we should've done. Sadly, it was frustrating. But I couldn't have asked any more from the lads. "If displays continue like that we'll win far more than draw or lose."
Allardyce must scour the loan market after losing key defender Winston Reid to a dislocated shoulder in the first minute. The Kiwi could be out for two months. Former West Ham keeper David James impressed with a great save in each half - stopping a Kevin Nolan effort between his legs on 64 minutes. James, 41, was beaten by a Freddie Sears shot after a quarter of an hour but the curling drive hit the post. Sub Yannick Bolasie cleared off the line from Carlton Cole's header. Mark Noble headed into the side netting in the last minute and striker Freddie Piquionne missed a couple of good chances to break the deadlock. Bristol City boss Derek McInnes said: "You can see the confidence in the team now."
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West Ham lack creative spark as Bristol City hold out for draw
London24
Steve Blowers, at Upton Park
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
10:05 PM
The Hammers fans turned up for a slaughter but were left to witness a sorry stalemate as Sam Allardyce's side had to settle for a dismal goalless draw against the resilient Robins. Rock-bottom Bristol City must have feared have feared the worst as they headed into the East End to face an in-form West Ham side riding high in second spot but Derek McInnes side battled every inch of the way to force the point that lifted them off the Championship floor. Following the weekend's 3-2 win over Leicester City, Big Sam had made a trio of changes as Frederic Piquionne, Freddie Sears and James Tomkins returned in place of John Carew, Jack Collison and substitute Abdoulaye Faye, who found himself on the bench alongside fit-again Peter Kurucz and young Robert Hall. Despite chalking up their second win of the season at Barnsley on Saturday, the Robins had still kicked off in bottom spot but, not surprisingly, McInnes named an unchanged team that included the 41-year-old, David James.
And the ex-Hammers 'keeper was quickly called upon to clatter into former Portsmouth team-mate Piquionne as the striker raced onto a through-ball, but that harmless collision was nothing compared to that endured by Winston Reid at the other end, just a minute or so later. Tumbling awkwardly in a bid to clear the first corner of the game, the Kiwi defender's night was over and he was led away clutching his left shoulder as Faye seamlessly stepped from the dug-out. On the quarter-mark, only the woodwork prevented West Ham from breaking the deadlock, when Sears collected from Julien Faubert and curled a brilliant 20-yarder beyond James' outstretched left glove and onto the post.
Apart from an Albert Adomah slice that went for a throw-in, the visitors had mustered nothing up front but, midway through the half, Marvin Elliott's 20-yard shot deflected into Robert Green's grasp. The reckless Adomah again let fly into the vociferous visiting fans packed into Sir Trevor Brooking Stand before Piquionne went far closer with a well-placed header that forced an athletic James to save at full-stretch. Ten minutes before the break, it was City's turn to hit the woodwork, when Neil Kilkenny sent a low 18-yarder through a pack of defenders and onto the base of the flat-footed, red-faced, Green's left-hand upright.
As the interval neared – and with City growing in confidence - Elliott also went close with two efforts before Mark Noble invited Faubert to send a pinpoint cross onto Piquionne's head but, again, James saved to give Big Sam and his goalless side some big thinking to do at the break. Certainly, the Hammers had shown lots of pace but little penetration during that forlorn first period and, within seconds of the restart, it was more of the same as Piquionne fired into the side-netting before sending a downward header just an inch or so wide of the base of the veteran James' right-hand post. In reply, the marauding Martyn Woolford saw Green parry his low, angled 12-yarder and, fortunately for West Ham, the long legs of Faye were on hand to deny Nicky Maynard the simplest of tap-ins.
At the other end, both Faubert and Piquionne sent the ball flashing across the face of goal but the yellow-shirted, West Country warriors were proving harder and harder to break down and, when Sears did get within sight of goal on the hour-mark, James was equal to the low shot. Noble also had a shot pawed away and when Faubert wastefully volleyed over, that was the catalyst for Carlton Cole to replace a subdued Sam Baldock, whose premature departure was still not well received by the frustrated East Enders in the crowd of 27,980. With the clock ticking, another Faubert failure and a weak effort from the subsequently substituted Sears did little to lift the mood of the home fans, either.
As the game entered its final stages, Cole sent an 18-yarder inches over but, by now, with Piquionne and Nolan also becoming the focal point for a string of one-dimensional long, high balls and it was crystal clear that City were not going to surrender their hard-fought point.
Hammers: Green, O'Brien, McCartney, Reid (Faye 7), Tomkins, Sears (Diop 75), Faubert, Noble, Nolan, Baldock (Cole 68), Piquionne. Unused Subs: Kurucz, Diop, Hall.
Bristol City: James, Skuse, Nyatanga, Fontaine, McGivern, Elliott, Kilkenny, Cisse (Wilson 81), Woolford (Bolasie 66), Adomah, Maynard (Clarkson 88). Unused Subs: Gerken, Pitman.
Referee: Mark Haywood
Attendance: 27,980
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hampionship round-up: West Ham fire blanks against lowly Bristol
West Ham missed a chance to keep in touch with Championship leaders Southampton after a frustrating 0-0 draw against Bristol City.
12:43AM GMT 02 Nov 2011
Telegraph.co.uk
Despite early signs of promise Sam Allardyce's side failed to really test former West Ham goalkeeper David James. "It was a very frustrating night for us. But I couldn't have asked any more from the lads," Allardyce said afterwards. "We couldn't find the finishing quality to put the ball in the back of the net so we're very frustrated. Perhaps had we got one, we'd have gone on to get more."
Allardyce paid tribute to his side for a run of seven points out of nine despite injuries among his small squad. He insisted the performance, though not the result, was "outstanding". West Ham's injury woes were extended early on when Winston Reid was forced off with a dislocated shoulder after just five minutes. Freddie Sears came close for the home side with an effort coming off the post, and Freddie Piquionne looked set to send a header past James but the former England No 1 made the save. In the second half, West Ham's poor fortune in front of goal continued with Kevin Nolan's weak shot easily trapped between James's legs. The draw lifted Bristol City off the bottom after their first win under manager Derek McInnes on Saturday. "You can see in the performance tonight, the confidence we got from Saturday's result," he said.
Millwall manager Kenny Jackett was full of praise for in-form striker Darius Henderson after his double helped the Lions to a 3-0 win over Coventry. He said: "Every signing is a gamble but Darius has given us presence and quality." Watford continued to pull away from the bottom three with a surprise 1-0 win over Brighton after a 77th-minute strike from substitute Troy Deeney. Leicester bounced back from two successive defeats with a 3-1 victory against Burnley at Turf Moor. Second-half goals from David Nugent and a Paul Gallagher penalty gave them full points. Hull suffered only their second away defeat of the season at Barnsley, for whom Craig Davies and Andy Gray gave them a 2-0 lead. Matt Fryatt pulled one back for the visitors.
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