Sam Allardyce showed he is up for the fight as his West Ham side battled against the odds to beat Barnsley 1-0.
A Hammers side missing a host of players through injury and suspension clung on to Papa Bouba Diop's early goal to move joint top of the npower Championship. And Allardyce's frustration boiled over when he was sent to the stand having protested once too often about some of referee Scott Mathieson's decisions.
Allardyce felt Fredi Piquionne and Freddie Sears could have had penalties while he was furious with Jim O'Brien's challenge on 17-year-old debutant Daniel Potts. He said: "The most disappointing thing for me was the challenge on Potts. It was reckless and dangerous."
He added: "That's what flicked the red mist for me today, as well as the Fredi Piquionne one, and kicking the bottles was the last straw.
"The fourth official called the referee over and told him to send me to the stand.
"I haven't been in trouble for 10 or 12 years now, but if I am in trouble I want to know what they are going to do about those decisions. Fortunately they didn't cost us today."
Barnsley failed to trouble West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green in the second half but their manager, Keith Hill, was unrepentant.
Hill and Allardyce are friends of old but clearly share different philosophies when it comes to football.
"We were foraging for a point, but I won't go to direct, percentage football," he said.
"It's killing English football and I won't resort to it."
Source: PA
