West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has expressed his disappointment after seeing his side concede a late equaliser in their FA Cup third-round clash with Everton this evening.
The Hammers looked to be on course for the fourth round courtesy of James Collins's goal early in the second half, but Romelu Lukaku popped up with a 91st-minute strike to force a replay for the Toffees.
Allardyce was left bemoaning his side's defending for the goal as well as an earlier missed chance from Enner Valencia in a match that he felt they should have won.
"We could have done an awful lot better. We got a bit desperate and instead of defending properly we let Bryan Oviedo in and he is very lucky with the cross. It ends up with Romelu Lukaku but we could have done better and defended like we've been defending," Allardyce told BT Sport.
"It is very disappointing when it is so late in the game. Had Enner Valencia put a free header in the net it would have clinched it and you would expect a player of his quality to do that. It is never an easy place to come but we were more than a match for Everton. We've had our pocket picked.
"We are disappointed to lose a goal in injury time. I'm satisfied with the overall effort of the players but if you don't punish your opponents when you have the chance it comes back to bite you. We're still in the hat for the fourth-round and now we will have to finish the job at home."
The winners of the return fixture at Upton Park will face either Doncaster Rovers or Bristol City in the fourth round.
Barney Corkhill
