Thursday 1 January 2015 19:58, UK
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce insisted the hectic festive schedule had caught up with his players as they were held to a 1-1 draw by lowly West Brom.
The Hammers were favourites to get back to winning ways after defeats to London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal over Christmas, but they were unable to build on an 11th-minute opener from Diafra Sakho - his ninth goal of the season.
Saido Berahino struck the equaliser three minutes before the break, and Aaron Cresswell's free-kick against the post was the closest either side came to a winner in a lacklustre second half.
"In terms of the players and where they are it was a big effort," Allardyce said. "Our finishing quality was something that we wanted when we needed it but we couldn't find it - but effort-wise it was a tremendous effort.
When you fatigue like the lads are going to do, more mistakes happen and that has to be accepted
"It would be nothing else other than a tired performance from both teams today. When you fatigue like the lads are going to do, more mistakes happen and that has to be accepted.
"Today it was about the result, not about the performance because the performance was never going to be great. Never. Not after you have asked the players to play a third time in six days - what we needed was to get the result and, unfortunately, we didn't get it."
Chasing
Allardyce was also frustrated that his team got caught on the break for Albion's equaliser, telling the club's website: "I think we went chasing the second goal too much when we didn't need to.
"We over-extended ourselves when we didn't need to and allowed the opposition a quick breakaway goal from a counter-attack. We left ourselves two-on-two at the back and that's the last thing you do when you're winning.
"You might do it if you're 1-0 down with 10 minutes to go, but you don't do it when you're 1-0 up and just coming to the end of the first half. It was the fault of the full-backs and midfield players gallivanting forward and over-committing to try and score another goal.
"That was the sad thing, because the result was the all-important thing for us and we didn't get the win that we wanted. But I can't praise the players enough for the effort they have put in over the last three games, even though we've only got one point.
"I thought Aaron had won it for us with a super-duper free-kick that hit the post. The other chances that fell to us, we unfortunately didn't find the quality to finish West Brom off when, in all fairness, they were there for the taking.
Point accepted
"We weren't quite ruthless or clinical enough to get the three points, but one point is accepted and moves us forward after two defeats on the trot. We get ready for Everton now and pick a team with what's available to us, with the lads going off to the Africa Cup of Nations, and move on from there.
"It's a big FA Cup third-round tie on Tuesday night, which is a bit bizarre and something I don't think I've done before, but it gives the lads time to rest and recover and make sure we can put a team out to try to get through to the next round."
Sakho had to be replaced after suffering a knock in a goalmouth scramble in the second half, and his fitness will be assessed on Friday.
"We have to have a scan on it and see what condition his back is in," Allardyce added. "Obviously it's a similar situation to when he last came back from Senegal, so on Friday the lads will send him for a scan and we'll see how it goes from there."
