Source: Team_Talk
Doncaster v West Ham reaction
Sam Allardyce believes Kevin Nolan underlined his importance to West Ham's promotion bid after his early goal decided a 1-0 win at Doncaster.[LNB] Nolan, a summer signing from Newcastle, opened his Hammers' goalscoring account after just five minutes to clinch Allardyce's first win in charge.[LNB]The 56-year-old, who saw his side fall to a late 1-0 opening-day defeat against Cardiff last weekend, was left thanking skipper Nolan after the Hammers had to hold on in the face of a late Doncaster onslaught.[LNB]Nolan guided Newcastle back to the top-flight at the first time of asking two years ago, when he was a prolific goalscorer from midfield, and after also hitting the crossbar today Allardyce expects the 29-year-old's know-how will prove invaluable many more times before the season's end.[LNB]"He could have had two goals today. He's got a good mentality Kevin and he knows what it takes to get out of this division," said Allardyce.[LNB]"We know it's got to be quality with team spirit and he builds that in the dressing room.[LNB]"He talks to players and demands things from players which helps me with my job.[LNB]"As a captain you build a dressing room and it's a lot easier to guide that team out with him."[LNB]Allardyce also found reason for cheer in his side's defensive display, after they withstood Doncaster's second-half revival.[LNB]The hosts enjoyed plenty of possession and territory after the break but goalkeeper Robert Green only had to make one save, from Simon Gillett, to preserve his clean sheet.[LNB]"Perhaps by that time we should have been more comfortable in terms of goals scored - it makes you a little uncomfortable," said Allardyce, who cut an increasingly agitated figure as the game wore on.[LNB]"But I like the resilience and determination of the players in that period.[LNB]"They showed me a lot of mental strength and good defensive organisation when you are just 1-0 ahead.[LNB]"If you look at the attempts on goal, even though Doncaster had a huge possession phase towards the end in our half, you look at Robert Green's saves and you see he has only had to make one.[LNB]"So we defended extremely well in that period. It shows me that we know how to hold on and dig in.[LNB]"Maybe that didn't happen as often as it should have done last season."[LNB]Despite Doncaster's second-half rally manager Sean O'Driscoll blasted his team, claiming he was "gobsmacked" by their performance.[LNB]O'Driscoll fielded an injury-depleted side without the likes of Billy Sharp, but he offered that as no excuse for a defeat that extends their winless league run to 14 games stretching into last season.[LNB]"Too many people who think they can play in this division didn't do the basics well," he said.[LNB]"We said before the game it doesn't matter if you're playing West Ham, Real Madrid or Barcelona we know the things we need to do well and which are important. Today they weren't important to us.[LNB]"I'm gobsmacked."[LNB]He added: "We value things that had nothing to do with resources, injuries. It's just can we do these things well. We didn't do them. We did in the second half.[LNB]"We gave ourselves the opportunity in the second half to compete against a team with Premier League players.[LNB]"I'm not disappointed in playing poorly - I can handle that. I am disappointed in not doing things they need to do.[LNB]"I don't want to go into what I'm talking about, but it's dead simple.[LNB]"It's about valuing things."
