Sam Allardyce has leapt to the defence of goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen after the veteran stopper was beaten by another free kick at Norwich in Saturday.
West Ham were beaten 3-1 at Carrow Road after capitulating in the second half and conceding three goals in the space of 37 minutes - one of which was a Robert Snodgrass free kick that, much as Leighton Baines' brace and Jermaine Pennant's effort for Stoke had previously, left Jaaskelainen rooted to the spot.The Hammers have now conceded four goals this season from free kicks taken on the perimeter of the penalty box - all of which have been placed in the same corner and none of which Jaaskelainen has attempted to save as the ball flew past him.
However Allardyce is not questioning his 'keeper - publicly, at least. "Snodgrass has hit a brilliant free-kick over the wall into the net," he said. "You can't fault the wall or the goalkeeper when they put them in that area.
"It was the fourth one against us in eleven games this season, when in two years previously at West Ham I haven't had four scored against me.
"That's a bizarre stat because Leighton Baines and Jermaine Pennant haven't scored one since and it will probably be a while before Snodgrass gets another one. But he got it when it mattered for Norwich and it was a killer for us."
However Allardyce was critical of his number one for the error that allowed City a way back into a game that West Ham had controlled until that point.
"It gave them the massive lift they were looking for and we gifted them the boost of confidence that they were searching for but looked like they were never going to get," he moaned.
"It's a psychological thing in that it lifted the crowd. They were booing at half-time but ten minutes after, they were cheering, which makes a massive difference and that was our fault.
"Had the game gone on at one-nil for another ten or 15 minutes I think we would have been stood here saying we'd won two-nil. That would have given us more chances to add a second, but unfortunately it didn't pan out that way and we only have ourselves to blame."
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