WHUFC.com
The manager was singing a familiar tune as he reflected on the Hammers
latest win on the road
30.11.2011
Sam Allardyce was once again left to marvel at another outstanding away
performance as his Hammers won 2-0 at Middlesbrough. It was a sixth victory
out of seven unbeaten and significantly strengthened their hold on second
place in the npower Championship. Big Sam's men have a six-point margin on
third-place Cardiff City and are a further two ahead of their Tuesday night
hosts, who could have cut the gap to just two points with a home win.
Freddie Piquionne, one of four changes from the weekend, rewarded the
manager's faith with a headed opener on nine minutes from a Matt Taylor
cross, himself making a welcome return to the starting eleven. Big Sam was
delighted, especially as he was without the injured Sam Baldock (hamstring)
and John Carew (knee) from the weekend. Carlton Cole then came off the bench
as a late replacement for Piquionne and scored his seventh of the season in
the dying seconds of the match. In between, the Hammers rearguard stood
firm, with Guy Demel making his first appearance in claret and blue after
his deadline-day arrival. It was actually his first competitive match action
since April, and the right-back barely put a foot wrong.
"It was as close as it can get I think to the perfect away performance,"
said the manager, who was delighted to see his men express their
free-flowing passing game at times. "It was a fantastic start. We were on
the front foot, we wanted to impose our own football on them and we did just
that. "Freddie Piquionne might have scored before he did from Matt Taylor.
It was a good ball from Kevin Nolan, an excellent cross from Matt Taylor
that showed what we have been missing since he was injured, and Freddie
headed it in. "We were glad to see Freddie score because he had three good
chances on Saturday and missed them. That got us off to a fantastic start.
You would expect Middlesbrough to come back as they haven't lost here for a
long time but the defence was solid."
The manager warned his men at half-time to beware a Boro fightback,
especially as Scott McDonald and Marvin Emnes were always a threat and
Robert Green had needed to make three smart stops in the first 45. As it
was, the second half was one of complete Hammers domination, topped off by
that Cole clincher. "We said to go out in the second half as we did in the
first half. Shut them down first, stop them playing how they wanted to play
and then go and attack them with our ability and skill. "Really it should
have been all over before Carlton Cole scored. Kevin Nolan missed a very
good chance and Robert Green hardly had to make a save against a
Middlesbrough side that hasn't been defeated here for a long time. It is a
great win and 2-0 was deserved."
Reflecting on the many positives, such as Green's assured display and
Demel's "outstanding debut", the manager said he hoped Carew and Jack
Collison, not needed on the bench, with Papa Bouba Diop returning to play a
marauding midfield role, would be in contention to face Burnley on Saturday.
"The squad is being used to its full potential. We just scraped four subs on
the bench, there was no more after that. It really was a great performance
and a great victory. We could have had more. Mark Noble felt he was brought
down for a penalty but in the end it didn't make any difference."
Much of the talk at half-time was about Southampton trailing at home to Hull
City but the leaders ultimately retained their two-point advantage on the
Hammers with a second-half turnaround to win 2-1. It didn't bother the
manager one bit that their rise to first place in the 'as it stands' table
lasted barely the time it took to have a cup of tea at the interval. "I
think we are being a bit greedy to think Southampton would lose at home with
such a fantastic record. It is a great comeback. But it is about the
distance we have put between ourselves and Cardiff and Middlesbrough. That
is now considerable, that takes the pressure off the lads. "It is getting
greater and greater. It leaves the challenge open for us and Southampton to
fight it out but really it is far to early to say that will be the case. We
are only 19 games in of a 46-game season. It is a long haul yet but it we
are playing some fantastic stuff and winning games of football. "We are all
happy. I look at the 1,500 fans who have travelled all this way on a Tuesday
night. They are sat out there in the freezing cold but they will be happy to
have seen a victory and it will have made the journey home that much
better."
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Piq praise for supporters
WHUFC.com
Man of the moment Frederic Piquionne was delighted to help the Hammers win
away again
30.11.2011
Frederic Piquionne was keen to make sure he said 'Thank you' as he waited to
board the team bus at the Riverside on Tuesday night. The striker, always an
upbeat presence around the squad and mentor to many, wanted to let the
supporters know how much it meant to hear his name sung as he left the
pitch. His ninth-minute goal - his second in successive away matches - paved
the way for a fine 2-0 defeat of Middlesbrough. "I am very happy to hear the
fans sing," he told whufc.com. "They are fantastic. I am doing my best for
the team but for the fans as well. We have to give our best for them."
Ever a perfectionist, Piquionne believed the team could have delivered more
than the two goals they managed. Certainly he knows he had a great chance to
score from Matt Taylor's cross even before the wide-man repeated the trick
in making his goal. "I had two chances from Matt. He is very good at
crossing. He said to me before the game to go and get in the box and when I
saw him the second time, I moved into position so he could give me the ball.
I jumped and scored the goal. I was very happy to do that. "It was another
goal [after scoring at Coventry] but it was about the team and we played
very well. Maybe we could have kept the ball a little bit more but in the
second half we were very good."
Piquionne had a watching brief for the closing stages, having understandably
tired in his main striker's role but he was a full and lively part of the
wild celebrations that greeted Carlton Cole's added-time second. "We stayed
strong and showed we had more experience than our opponents. At the end,
Coley killed the game off which was great and we were all happy to see that
goal go in. "We took three points again and it is a perfect week so far
because we have six points from two games. We are not finished yet though
because we want to have nine points by Saturday night. Hopefully I can give
the fans another present with another goal as well."
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Middlesbrough 0 - 2 West Ham
BBC.co.uk
Page last updated at 23:00 GMT, Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Second placed West Ham won their fourth successive match after goals from
Frederic Piquionne and Carlton Cole earned them a win over Middlesbrough.
Piquionne headed in Matt Taylor's early cross although Hammers goalkeeper
Robert Green had to be sharp to deny Scott McDonald an instant equaliser.
Tony Mowbray's Middlesbrough had not lost at home for 16 matches, but could
not find a way past Green. Cole rounded goalkeeper Jason Steele to seal the
win in injury time. Marvin Emnes looked the most likely home player to force
a breakthrough, but he and McDonald were denied by Green as the first half
drew to a close. Mowbray's side increased their work-rate in the second
period, and Faris Haroun shot wide after Joe Bennett played a dangerous ball
into the penalty box.
West Ham could have increased their lead on the hour mark when Papa Bouba
Diop was presented with a clear opportunity but shot wide instead of passing
to Kevin Nolan - the former Bolton man would have loved to have marked his
400th career game with a goal. Despite bringing on Bart Ogbeche, Julio Arca
and Alex Nimely from the bench, Boro were to lose their unbeaten home
record, and Cole secured all three points when he benefited from a poor Boro
clearance. The England striker rounded Steele and finished calmly despite
the presence of two Boro defenders on the goal-line - sending the 1,243
travelling fans in to raptures as they celebrated their fourth straight win
away from home.
After Middlesbrough's defeat, only Southampton and Birmingham now have
unbeaten home records in the Championship this season. West Ham manager Sam
Allardyce said after the game: "We got every element right today. When we
had to defend, we defended well, when we attacked, we exploited the spaces
they were leaving to show our quality in the final third. "We're a very
happy bunch at the minute, we're just keeping our feet on the ground,
enjoying our training and enjoying our time together. We prepared right for
this one today."
Middlesbrough boss Mowbray was frustrated with his side's performance,
saying: "It was one of those nights we huffed and puffed and had a few
chances but I never really sat on the edge of my seat. "They've got a lot of
Premier League experience and I think it showed. We'll take it on the chin
and move on."
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Baldock out 'til Christmas
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 29th November 2011
By: Staff Writer
Sam Baldock has been ruled out until Christmas with a hamstring injury. The
22-year-old striker sustained the injury during last weekend's 3-1 defeat of
Derby County at the Boleyn and was told earlier today that he'll miss a
minimum of three weeks, possibly more. West Ham's number seven arrived at
the club at the end of August and opened his account with a brace against
Blackpool, in his second start after moving from League One outfit MK Dons.
He repeated the feat in his fourth start when scoring two of West Ham's
three goals against Leicester City at the end of October, before scoring his
most recent goal in the 2-0 win at Hull (on 5th November). Prior to scoring
his five goals for West Ham this season, Baldock had hit six for his former
club - including a hat-trick against Chesterfield in front of a watching Sam
Allardyce - giving him a season tally of 11 goals from 17 appearances (three
as a substitute). Also out of contention this evening is John Carew, leaving
Sam Allardyce with just Carlton Cole and Freddie Piquionne as fit, first
team strikers.
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Hammers end Boro's Riverside run
Last updated: 29th November 2011
SSN
Goals from Frederic Piquionne and Carlton Cole put paid to Middlesbrough's
unbeaten home record as West Ham won 2-0 on Teesside on Tuesday. The Hammers
claimed a fourth straight Championship victory, and a fourth on the road, as
Tony Mowbray's Boro lost for the first time at the Riverside this season. A
home record stretching back to February last year came undone as Piquionne
nodded Mark Noble's cross home with nine minutes played. West Ham dominated
throughout and, despite a spirited second-half performance from their
opponents, Cole took advantage of a late Matthew Bates error to slot in a
second. Sam Allardyce had promised to shake up his team, and did so, making
four changes at the Riverside. Ivory Coast international Guy Demel made his
debut, with Piquionne, Matt Taylor and Papa Bouba Diop also included. Boro
drafted in Merouane Zemmama for the injured Barry Robson. Tony Mowbray had
intended to give the visitors an uncomfortable night on Teesside, but
Allardyce's men looked the more assured side for most of the first half.
Taylor forced Jason Steele to parry clumsily with his dipping free-kick as
the match sparked into life. The hosts laboured to recover the ball as the
Hammers set up camp, and within nine minutes their poor retention had cost
them dearly. Nicky Bailey dithered in possession in his own half, only for
Noble to ghost in and supply a killer cross for Piquionne to nod home. With
seven league goals to his name going into this encounter, Marvin Emnes was
repeatedly forced out onto the flanks by the wary Hammers defence. But in
the 26th minute, he turned this to his advantage, whipping in a cross which
Faris Haroun might have tucked away with a better connection. Scott McDonald
then weaved in from the right wing to alarm Rob Green with a snapshot that
the former Norwich stopper could only bundle away for a corner. Their
renewed vigour afforded Boro the best opportunities before the break,
Zemmama given time and space to blast narrowly above the target, with Emnes
forcing a stunning fingertip save from Green as he cut in once more from the
left.
West Ham led the Championship table at the half-time interval by merit of
Southampton's losing position at home to Hull. Perhaps softened by reports
from St Mary's, Allardyce's charges relaxed their complete dominance as the
second half began. Haroun was unlucky to fire wide after Joe Bennett had
sent a dangerous ball into the penalty box. And on the hour mark, Rhys
Williams glanced Tony McMahon's cross carelessly off target with the goal
gaping. The spectre of Boro's last meeting with the east London side arrived
as Cole was introduced for Piquionne with 20 minutes remaining. Cole was
among the scorers as the north east club bowed out of the Premier League
with a 2-1 defeat at Upton Park in May 2009. Iron skipper Kevin Nolan,
making his 400th career league appearance, marshalled his midfield superbly
as Boro grew in confidence and began to run into channels towards the final
whistle. And Mowbray's side finally waved goodbye to their excellent record
as Cole seized on the loose ball exposed by Bates' slip to round Steele and
pass into the net. But with the Saints recovering to beat Hull, the quest
for top spot continued for Allardyce and his fluent Hammers outfit.
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Allardyce - Big statement
Mowbray left frustrated as Boro's unbeaten home run ends
Last Updated: November 29, 2011 11:09pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce believes West Ham will have sent out a message to their
Championship rivals by ending Middlesbrough's unbeaten home record. The
Hammers enjoyed a 2-0 success at the Riverside Stadium with Frederic
Piquionne opening their account and Carlton Cole making the game safe in the
closing moments.
Boro battled hard to preserve their record, which had stood since a 3-0
reverse to QPR in February 2010, but Scott McDonald and top scorer Marvin
Emnes were both denied. "The squad is being used to its full potential and
it's looking pretty good for us," Allardyce said.
Big statement
"We've missed some big players today and we came and performed like that and
in the end won the game very comfortably against a team that hadn't lost a
game here. "We got every element right today. When we had to defend, we
defended well, when we attacked, we exploited the spaces they were leaving
to show our quality in the final third. "We created good chances to win the
game and deservedly so. "We're a very happy bunch at the minute, we're just
keeping our feet on the ground, enjoying our training and enjoying our time
together. We prepared right for this one today. "Kevin Nolan was talking
about it (the unbeaten record) before the game, that we could make a big
statement tonight and I think we have on the quality of our performance. "We
comfortably won the game tonight and long may it continue. "We're getting to
know each other's strengths and weaknesses and that makes us, as a team,
better and better and better as time goes on."
Huffed and puffed
Unhappy Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray spoke briefly after a disappointing
defeat on a cold night on Teesside. "It was frustrating as we didn't play
particularly well," he said. "It was one of those nights we huffed and
puffed and had a few chances but I never really sat on the edge of my seat.
"They've got a lot of Premier League experience and I think it showed. "They
know when to put their foot through it, they know when to clear it, they're
big and strong. "We got in behind them once or twice, but we needed the back
of the net to ripple. We'll take it on the chin and move on. Good luck to
them."
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Middlesbrough 0-2 West Ham: Big Sam's boys Hammer home superiority
Published 21:50 29/11/11 By Simon Bird
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce's away game experts are in danger of making the Championship a
two club race - after Frederic Piquionne and Carlton Cole clinched a
comfortable victory. Even against fourth places Boro, the Hammers were
superior in all departments, clinching a fourth consecutive win. "A big
statement," boss Sam Allardyce called this result. Allardyce loves his
stats, and the most pleasing is a run of 16 points out of a possible 18,
with only one loss on their travels all season at main rivals Southampton.
It was more of the same at the Riverside, with a tough West Ham defence
weathering squalls of attacks from Boro, but never really looking troubled.
If Allardyce's men keep up the same work rate, they will be home and dry
back in the top flight. The gap with Boro, who consider themselves
contenders is now eight points. Allardyce said: "The run we are on and the
confidence in the team is looking pretty good for us now. We missed big
players today but performed like that and won against a team who had not
lost at home. "Fantastic and great performance and we are rolling on and on.
We are now creating a gap between third and ourselves and gives confidence
to keep performing like that. Watford was our best away game but this is
close. "Having four good strikers is a big plus. Piquionne and Cole have
come up with the goods and played their part. But all around the squad it
looks good because we are moving the team around, but the team keeps playing
well. "We keep our feet on the ground and enjoy our training. We are getting
to know each other. It could be a big nine point week for us if we don't
slip up against Burnley."
As for Tony Mowbray's side they will need to find a more ruthless streak to
keep pace, although they did threaten during the second half with good
possession.
Mowbray said: "West Ham have the best pedigree in the Championship and we
needed a win to keep pace. "But in the first 20 we never got going and were
a goal down. We were insipid and didn't show we were making a game of it.
They are a big strong side with Premier League players and we could feel
that. "We only huffed and puffed. We conceded a poor goal. They had one man
in the box and scored with a free header. "We didn't do enough, but they are
good at grinding out results. We never asked enough questions of their goal
keeper. We had a few chances first half but I never really sat on the edge
of my seat thinking the goal is coming.
"I am disappointed because I didn't think we had a goal."
The power, strength and experience in West Ham's line up should eventually
have them out of sight of promotion rivals. But it took only nine minutes
for the visitors to take command with a Piquionne header - his second of the
season. Sam Allardyce's men were his typical mix of organisation and getting
the ball into danger areas in the box, which Matt Taylor did with precision
when picking out the French striker at the back post for a simple nod into
the bottom corner. West Ham should have made the game safe earlier but in
the 93rd minute a dreadful slip by Matthew Bates let Carlton Cole, on as a
sub for Piquionne, collect the ball, round the keeper and fire home.
Allardyce's arm waving dance showed how crucial he felt the win was.
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Mowbray laments gulf in experience
8:00am Wednesday 30th November 2011 in
The Northern Echo
By Scott Wilson >
TONY Mowbray last night admitted West Ham's extensive Premier League
experience had played a key role in his side's 2-0 defeat at the Riverside.
Goals at the start and end of the game from Frederic Piquionne and Carlton
Cole condemned Middlesbrough to their first home defeat of the season and
left the Teessiders eight points adrift of the automatic promotion places.
Both Piquionne and Cole played for the Hammers as they dropped out of the
top-flight last season, and the likes of Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble and Robert
Green were also influential figures as the visitors strengthened their grip
on a top-two place. Middlesbrough boast a number of players with Premier
League experience, but more than half of last night's starting line-up have
never played in the top-flight and Mowbray feels that when they face a side
like West Ham, Boro occasionally suffer from a lack of more seasoned stars.
"I would think that all of West Ham's players have played in the Premier
League and that obviously helps," said the Boro boss. "I'm not sure how many
Premier League appearances we have in our team, but I can't imagine it's all
that many. "People like Matthew (Bates) and Tony (McMahon) have probably
played one or two, but there aren't too many more footballers with Premier
League experience in our team.
"At times, I think that showed this evening. They had a lot of Premier
League knowledge in their team and I think you could feel that."
West Ham's victory was their fourth on the bounce, and Sam Allardyce's side
already look extremely strong contenders for an automatic promotion place.
Boro have now lost to both the Hammers and league leaders Southampton, but
Mowbray does not feel there is a vast gulf separating his side from the top
two. It could be argued that the Teessiders were outclassed at St Mary's,
but that was never the case last night with Boro paying a heavy price for a
lack of composure in front of goal. Scott McDonald missed a golden
opportunity in the first half, while Faris Haroun, Marvin Emnes and Merouane
Zemmama all failed to find the target with decent half-chances. "There's a
disappointment because I don't think we did enough," said Mowbray, who was
deprived of the services of thigh injury victim Barry Robson. "We started
very poorly and found ourselves a goal down. We recovered okay and were the
ones that looked like scoring in the latter stages of the first half, yet I
always felt as though they were reasonably comfortable.
"What are the reasons for that? I don't know. We had a number of chances
without really having glaring opportunities. We needed a goal to give the
crowd a lift, but it never came and it felt as though we were going to
struggle to break them down the longer the game went on. We finished with
five or six strikers on the pitch, but still didn't really threaten their
goal."
There was drama before kick-off as Jason Steele appeared to tweak a muscle
in the warm-up. Mowbray does not name a goalkeeper on the Middlesbrough
bench, and while Danny Coyne was helping to put Steele through his paces,
the Teessiders would have had to seek permission from West Ham to parachute
him into the starting line-up. As it happened, that was not necessary as
Steele recovered sufficiently to take his place in the team. "It looked for
a time like he might not be fit, but he came through okay," said Mowbray.
"In the end, I don't think he had that much to do and he was fine throughout
the game."
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Hammers impress with disciplined Boro win
London 24
Nathaniel John, West Ham correspondent
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
9:48 PM
Championship: Middlesbrough 0 West Ham United 2
West Ham returned to winning ways on a Tuesday night as they produced a
disciplined away performance to beat fourth-placed Middlesbrough at the
Riverside Stadium. On a chilly night in the north east, Freddie Piquionne's
ninth-minute header, plus a stoppage-time strike from substitute Carlton
Cole proved to be enough to end Boro's 16-game unbeaten home run, as the
Hammers moved six points clear of third-placed Cardiff in the Championship
table. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce made four changes from the team that beat
Derby County on Saturday, as Guy Demel made his Hammers debut, and Matt
Taylor, Papa Bouba Diop and Piquionne came in for substitutes Joey O'Brien,
Jack Collison, Cole and the injured Sam Baldock. And it was the Hammers who
immediately started the better of the two sides, almosty breaking the
deadlock in the second minute, when Taylor's 30-yard free-kick was parried
by Jason Steele in the Boro goal. Moments later, and the visitors were ahead
through lone striker Piquionne. After a period of pressure in the Boro half,
West Ham captain Nolan found Taylor wide on the left. The former Bolton
Wanderers midfielder then delivered a pin-point cross to Piquionne, who
headed confidently past Steele to send the 1,243 Hammers fans behind the
goal wild.
After conceding, the home side looked to bounce back straight away, and
almost did so when James Tomkins misjudged a long ball forward from Boro
captain Matthew Bates, which Scott McDonald collected, but Green was on hand
to save from close range. Midway through the first half, and the visitors
came close to doubling their lead when Taylor tried an audacious 30-yard
right-footed half-volley that landed on the roof of Steele's net with the
Boro keeper back-pedalling furiously.
The Hammers then had Green to thank once again as he made sure the visitors
went into the break ahead with two smart saves. First of all, the England
keeper had to be on hand to save Merouane Zemmama's effort when he connected
with a Marvin Emnes cross, before the West Ham number one made his best stop
of the half, denying McDonald after the lively Australian striker had beaten
both George McCartney and Tomkins. West Ham began the second half in similar
fashion to the first, and had the better of the opening exchanges. However,
hearts were in mouths just three minutes late, when Tomkins went down under
an ugly challenge from McDonald. Fortunately, the England under-21 defender
picked himself up after some treatment on the pitch and the game resumed.
With the half 10 minutes old, the Hammers thought that they should have had
a penalty, when Mark Noble checked inside the box before appearing to be
brought down, but referee Mike Dean waved away the visitors' appeal. Minutes
later and Diop spurned the first clear-cut chance of the second half, when
he did the hard work in beating two Boro defenders, before poking his shot
wide of Steele's left-hand post from six yards. With the home side stepping
up the pressure on the visitors' defence, Allardyce responded by introducing
Cole for the hard-working Piquionne. And the striker's first contribution
was to chase a long ball from Demel, putting pressure on Steele, who handled
outside of his area. However, Taylor could only curl the subsequent
free-kick over the bar.
As the half wore on, the game became scrappy, with both sides pressing to
score a decisive goal. Then, with six minutes remaining, Hammers captain
Nolan was gifted a chance to put the game to bed, when Taylor's cross was
controlled into the path of the former Newcastle man by Cole. However, Nolan
failed to replicate his clinical finish against Derby County, as his
left-footed half-volley flew over the bar from 12 yards. As Boro pushed
forward in search for an equaliser, West Ham didn't stop advancing either,
and the visitors got their reward in the 94th minute with a second goal.
Striker Cole chased a long ball forward from George McCartney, forcing Boro
skipper Bates into a mistake. The England striker then raced clear, before
beating Steele and slotting into an empty net, securing the three points and
sending the visitors home as happy Hammers.
Middlesbrough: Steele, Bennett, Bates, Zemmana (Hines, 84), McManus,
McDonald, McMahon, Bailey (Ogbeche, 74), Williams (Arca, 84), Emnes, Haroun.
Subs not used: Tchuimeni-Nimely, Hoyte.
West Ham: Green, Demel (O'Brien, 79), Tomkins, Faye, McCartney, Faubert,
Nolan (c), Diop, Noble, Taylor, Piquionne (Cole, 69). Subs not used: Stech,
Collison, Sears.
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Hammers are a happy bunch, admits Sam Allardyce
30 Nov 2011
Evening Standard
Sam Allardyce believes his West Ham side have made a real statement of
intent by ending Middlesbrough's unbeaten home record in the npower
Championship.
Frederic Piquionne set them on their way to a 2-0 win with a ninth-minute
header following a mistake by Nicky Bailey. Boro, until last night were
unbeaten at the Riverside since a 3-0 reverse to QPR in February 2010,
battled in vain to preserve their record, with Scott McDonald and top scorer
Marvin Emnes both denied from well-crafted opportunities. But Carlton Cole
popped up deep into injury time to seal a sixth league win in seven games
for the Hammers, this time home captain Matthew Bates erring to allow the
striker to tap home unopposed. West Ham keep up the pressure on leaders
Southampton, who rescued a 2-1 win from a losing position in their game with
Hull at St Mary's. Allardyce said: "The squad is being used to its full
potential and it's looking pretty good for us. "We've missed some big
players today and we came and performed like that and in the end won the
game very comfortably against a team that hadn't lost a game here. We got
every element right today. When we had to defend, we defended well, when we
attacked, we exploited the spaces they were leaving to show our quality in
the final third.
"We created good chances to win the game and deservedly so. We're a very
happy bunch at the minute, we're just keeping our feet on the ground,
enjoying our training and enjoying our time together. We prepared right for
this one today. "Kevin Nolan was talking about it (the unbeaten record)
before the game, that we could make a big statement tonight and I think we
have on the quality of our performance. We comfortably won the game tonight
and long may it continue. "We're getting to know each other's strengths and
weaknesses and that makes us, as a team, better and better and better as
time goes on."
The victory also marked a personal milestone in Allardyce's managerial
career, as he claimed the spoils for the first time at the Riverside after
fruitless exertions while in charge of Bolton, Newcastle and Blackburn. He
said: "I've had a few draws, a couple of defeats and it's the first time
I've won here so I'm very pleased."
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We Didn't Have A Go
www.mfc.co.uk
BORO'S failure to pile some pressure on a solid but not unbeatable West Ham
side was the biggest let down for Tony Mowbray as his side surrendered their
long home unbeaten run. Mowbray's men had not lost at the Riverside since
last season's champions QPR won 3-0 on Teesside in February, but after
conceding early on they were unable to mount a sustained fightback against
the second-placed Hammers. "I'm disappointed because I didn't think we had a
go," said Mowbray. "West Ham are a strong and experience team and they can
grind out results, as they did tonight. "But they're there to go and attack
and ask questions of, and we didn't do that enough. We looked
half-threatening on the break but we never really asked enough questions of
the goalkeeper. "We had a few chances without ever having glaring
opportunities. We needed a goal to give the crowd a lift but we ended up
with four or five strikers on the pitch and still didn't really threaten a
goal."
Boro never got their usual passing game together and were the architects of
their own downfall after losing possession from an early throw-in and going
behind to Frederic Piquionne's ninth-minute header. "We started very
poorly and in the first 20 minutes we never got going and found ourselves a
goal down," said Mowbray.
"It was a very, very poor goal. They got a free header in the six-yard box
and goals like that shouldn't happen. "We recovered okay and we were the
ones who looked like we'd score and Steeley never had a save to make. "But
they were the side with Premier League experience and you could see that. I
always felt they were reasonably comfortable - they're big, strong side."
The result against one of the promotion pacesetters will be seen as a blow
to Boro's own hopes of claiming an automatic place, coming after two
successive draws.
However, although Mowbray was dissatisfied with tonight's performance, he
feels there isn't too much wrong with his side's current form. "The last
two performances were good, the Blackpool performance was as good as we've
played since I've been here and for an hour at Peterborough we were very,
very dominant," he said. "The team are doing okay."
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