Sam Allardyce was delighted with West Ham¿s win at Portsmouth, whose boss Michael Appleton blasted referee Kevin Friend.
Hammers boss pleased to keep up promotion push at Fratton Park
Sam Allardyce was delighted with promotion-chasing West Ham's 1-0 win at Portsmouth, whose boss Michael Appleton blasted referee Kevin Friend.
Midfielder Mark Noble scored the only goal of the game from the spot to keep up the second-placed Hammer's pursuit of Championship table-toppers Southampton.
And Allardyce admits he is going to have to sign another forward after watching his side score just one in a dominant performance over ten-men Pompey, who had David Norris sent off at Fratton Park.
The West Ham boss said: "Even with all the chances we created we have only won the game by a penalty so it was very important it was put away.
"I am looking for another striker because from the chances we created we have not been clinical enough and that has been a problem.
"The good thing is we have one of the best defensive records in the league and that is a positive for us and means we will always be up where we want to be.
"Apart from the last 10 minutes of the first half we were solid defensively. We took control of a game against a side who are brilliant at home.
"We could have won more convincingly after the sending off. We are delighted with the performance and the result."
Marching orders
Pompey went down to ten-men on 57 minutes when Norris was given his marching orders for a tackle from behind on Winston Reid.
Appleton blasted referee Friend, accusing him of allowing the West Ham players to influence his decisions.
He said: "It was not a sending off, it was harsh. I do not think it was a two-footed challenge and it was not a tackle from behind.
"The biggest disappointment was I have never seen a red card pulled out of a pocket so quickly in my life. We were put on the back foot after that.
"It was not a penalty. It was harsh. I think there was two or three West Ham players refereeing the game. We should have had a handball at the end as well.
"You need the referee to be strong and I do not think he was. I felt some of the West Ham players were having an influence on his decisions."
