WEST HAM boss Sam Allardyce was relieved to get this win under his belt in a season that is increasingly becoming one of what-might-have-beens for the east London club.

Allardyce recalled that his side were fourth at Christmas and had they not had so many injuries and dropped points they would be a lot closer to that position now.

“Everybody’s expectations have been high,” said Allardyce, who singled out points dropped at home to Manchester United and away at Spurs as particularly galling with his side so close to securing all three on both occasions.

“Of the teams below us, we have only lost to Everton and Crystal Palace,” he said, pointing out that seven of the last eight remaining games are against teams below the Hammers.

Allardyce complimented the scorer of the West Ham winner Diafra Sakho, who consolidated his position as the club’s leading marksman with 12 goals, 10 in the league.

“Being leading scorer at West Ham in the Premier League in his first season is a great achievement for him,” said Allardyce.

He admitted there had been a foul in the build-up to the goal but thought it only reasonable that his side had one decision go their way, given the number that had gone the other over recent weeks.

The game itself was a scrappy affair, with Sunderland starting the brighter but finishing up paying the price for missed chances.

As early as the 14th minute, Jermain Defoe was put clean through by a header on from Seb Larsson but the returning West Ham old boy blazed his volley over the bar.

Alex Song replied for the Hammers, striking a sweet shot from 25 yards, which had Sunderland keeper Costel Pantilimon scrambling to turn it aside.

In the second half Sakho saw two good headers go just wide of the upright before — with just two minutes of normal time left — he was played in by Mark Noble on the right-hand side of the penalty area to finish across the keeper in the right-hand corner.

The goal cheered up an increasingly impatient home crowd, who had expected more from their side on a cold spring evening.

New Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat felt his side deserved more, at least a point. He regarded the chance missed by Defoe in the first half as crucial.

He expressed his confidence that Sunderland will stay up with the upcoming international break, giving the former Rangers boss a chance to sort out some of the problems, particularly at the back of his team.