West Ham manager Sam Allardyce admitted he suffered more than a few jitters as the Hammers made hard work of seeing off struggling Coventry 1-0.
With Sky Blues goalkeeper Joe Murphy in inspired form Allardyce's side had to wait until the 66th minute to bag the goal which lifted them level on points at the npower Championship summit with Southampton.
Allardyce said: "We were all relieved when we saw it go in because we were all wondering whether it was going to happen for us or not today on the basis of how many chances we created and how good their keeper was."
He added: "It was an outstanding performance from him (Murphy) and I was just getting a little worried in the last embers of the game that we weren't going to get what we deserved.
"There's always that nagging feeling about the quick breakout that the opposition might get and nick it as we've seen before here against Cardiff and Ipswich but gladly in the end we got what we thoroughly deserved."
Sky Blues boss Andy Thorn, while admitting his disappointment at the manner in which the goal was conceded, was quick to praise his side for their bumper Christmas points tally of six from nine available.
He said: "I thought the boys gave me everything. We stuck in there but towards the end it was disappointing to concede the goal, an appalling goal from our point of view.
"But I can't ask for any more effort from them because they were excellent and we could even have nicked something at the end. I thought we finished strongly.
"We stood up to them well and then as it went on I thought we got stronger and we started getting our own chances - and I thought one of them could have gone in for us.
"West Ham are going to be up there. They're well organised and well managed but I was a little bit disappointed that we didn't get anything."
Source: PA
