Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce was left frustrated after his side failed to make the most of their dominant display against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. The Black Cats managed to carve out an astonishing 22 chances without a goal throughout the 90 minutes, according to opta stats, however, they found Albion goalkeeper Ben Foster in fine form.

Jermain Defoe was the pick of the bunch that had golden opportunities in the game, but Fabio Borini and Jan Kirchoff also came close as the Wearsiders has to settle for a point against an Albion side that appeared content with exactly that.

Players couldn't give any more in positive display

After the game, Big Sam was full of praise for his side, and he claimed that they couldn't have given anymore than they had done, but the Black Cats still remain in the bottom three. Allardyce called Sunderland's performance against West Brom the best 90 minutes since he has been manager at the club, but he openly admitted that they struggled to break down their opponents.

"I don't know what else we can do or what else I can say," Allardyce told the Shields Gazette.

Breaking down the Albion defensive line was a problem as they were "marshalled so well by their manager", Allardyce said, but the boss spoke about Foster's performance, saying he "stopped us scoring two or three goals".

It was an afternoon full of frustration for Defoe and co. (Photo: Getty Images)
It was an afternoon full of frustration for Defoe and co. (Photo: Getty Images)

Frustrating afternoon at the Stadium of Light

Allardyce stated that his side couldn't have created any more chances in the game than they had done, and that, along with other factors, left the manager frustrated with the afternoon. Dame N'Doye had the ball in the back of the net for what looked like the winning goal in the dying embers of the game, but he was flagged offside and the goal didn't stand to the home side's frustration.

"It has been a hugely frustrating afternoon, but I can do nothing but heap praise on the players," Allardyce said.

The Black Cats boss heaped praise on a side that managed to break down a West Brom side that "played four centre-halves and four midfielders" to try and stop them in their path.

However, Allardyce is still hopeful that he can guide Sunderland to safety, and after he stated that he was confident they would do just that "if they keep playing like that", he challenged them to carry on the performance for the game next week against top-of-the-table Leicester City.

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About the author
Andrew McDonnell
Sports writer based in the North-East of England, safe to say I have found my niche in sports writing and I strive to succeed with everything I do, including Vavel, both in the UK and USA. First official Writer of the week for the USA office too. Cover Manchester United, Watford, Cricket, MLS and NFL.