Sam Allardyce insists West Ham can still win automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Clarets chief disappointed but proud of side at same time
Sam Allardyce insists West Ham can still win automatic promotion to the Premier League, despite seeing his side drop points with a 2-2 draw at Burnley.
Two goals in as many second-half minutes from Kevin Nolan and James Tomkins rescued a point for United at Turf Moor, but victories for top two Southampton and Reading meant it was a miserable afternoon for the Hammers.
Martin Paterson sent Burnley in two goals to the good at the interval after Marvin Bartley opened the scoring with a fine individual effort.
The draw at Burnley leaves West Ham four points off second-placed Reading and nine behind leaders Southampton.
"I'm flabbergasted how we did not win that," said Allardyce.
"I'm stunned and shocked but that's football.
"I was stunned at half-time that we were 2-0 down. We dominated the game from the very start and kept slipping up. We kept missing chances. Whatever we did we couldn't find the net.
"In the second half we got better and better and then squandered so many chances. It's a massive cost to us because we should have won comfortably.
"This could be the turning point in our season with regards to getting automatic promotion. It makes things more tense and tight.
"I just told the players to carry on the way they were playing at half-time as chance after chance went begging.
"It was just two defensive slip-ups that cost us. The second one was an ordinary cross we should have dealt with. I've never seen a game like that."
It could and probably should have been very different for West Ham had Carlton Cole not spurned early opportunities for the Hammers.
The misses proved costly as Bartley opened the scoring with a low drive past England goalkeeper Robert Green on 25 minutes.
And it got worse for Allardyce and West Ham ten minutes before the break as Paterson scored at the near post for Burnley.
But West Ham came roaring back into the game after the break as first Nolan lobbed Lee Grant on 68 minutes.
And two minutes later it was all square when Tomkins found the decisive touch from a Mark Noble's free-kick.
Sam Baldock had two late chances to win it for West Ham but decisively spurned both opportunities.
Howe's perspective
Burnley manager Eddie Howe said: "I'm very disappointed as we were excellent and very brave. We took 10-15 minutes to settle but we had a lot of confidence.
"They are a strong, physical side. But the third goal was crucial in the game and they got it. We are thankful to Lee Grant who made saves - it would have been a tragedy if we had lost this.
"We have to say people are growing. We wanted to have a show of spirit and play for the club. I'm disappointed by the result but I'm very enthusiastic about the performance.
"We're kicking ourselves because I believe we had the capability of being good enough this year. We've surrendered some leads and that's something we need to focus on.
"We've competed really well against the top sides and given good accounts of ourselves in the big games. It's perhaps more the games against the teams down the lower end when we've struggled and dropped points when we should not have done so.
"It's such small margins as we could easily have been knocking on the door. We will have to learn that quickly for next year and keep the group together and have a good push for promotion."
