Sam Allardyce fury as Hammers suffer more late heartache

The Hammers looked to be on their way to a first home win of the season only for Adam Clayton to grab a late equaliser for the visitors at Upton Park yesterday.

Allardyce blasted his team for failing to see the game out. He said: "It was very important we retained possession but there was a lack of understanding at that stage of the game and we lacked professionalism.

"It's happened twice now at home, first against Cardiff when they scored the winner in the 92nd minute and now against Leeds who scored an equaliser in the last minute of the game.

"The anxiety is not going to go away until we win at home and the best way to do that is keep the ball away from the opposition."

Allardyce, who was today hoping to sign winger Eric Mouloungui from French club Nice for £2.5million, was also unhappy with referee Michael Oliver who rejected two strong first-half penalty claims from the home side, first when Leeds defender Patrick Kisnorbo grabbed James Tomkins's shirt in the box and then when Aidy White appeared to trip Carlton Cole.

In between, Oliver did award Leeds a spot-kick when Matt Taylor clearly handled a Leeds corner. "The referee didn't do well," said Allardyce. "We should have had two penalties in the first half, both blatant in my view, and it's not good when the referee doesn't do what he is paid to do."

Tomkins himself was more sanguine, although he was disappointed not to have been awarded a penalty.

"I think the claims probably evened themselves out in the end," he said.

"We thought we'd won the game but another late goal cost us dearly. We need to concentrate on killing games off and it's another two points lost at home. We're going to have to make up the points in the next game at Nottingham Forest.

"In the past we've done well at home but we have to concentrate a bit more, waste a bit of time and hit the channels up to the big lads."

It had all begun so well for West Ham, with Cole volleying home Taylor's fifth-minute corner. With Leeds winger Max Gradel, a summer target for the East London club, always dangerous, though, Leeds battled back well and deserved their 58th-minute equaliser through Ross McCormack.

It took only two minutes for West Ham to restore their lead when substitute Julien Faubert fired over a cross which Kisnorbo volleyed into his own net.

West Ham brought on John Carew for his debut soon after but it was Leeds who were celebrating at the end after Clayton's late equaliser.

Leeds manager Simon Grayson was understandably delighted with his team's performance and underlined the pressures West Ham will face at home this season when he said: "I thought we deserved a point at least. I said to the players that it's not easy when you are the favourites.

"We've been in that position ourselves - it's a pressure situation but you have to deal with it.

"They still have players who could be going to the Premier League like Scott Parker and they will be up there at the end of the season but I thought we mixed it well.

"When you come to Upton Park and feel slightly disappointed with a draw then you know your team have shown immense qualities."

Gabon international Mouloungui, in the final year of his contract at Nice, was expected at Upton Park today for a medical and he looks likely to sign for West Ham if there are no problems.

Mouloungui, 27, has 14 international caps for Gabon and scored 17 goals in 101 appearances for Strasbourg before moving to Nice in 2008, where he has netted 14 goals in 80 matches.

With nine days left before the transfer window closes, West Ham's England midfielder Scott Parker could also become the focus of increased activity this week.

West Ham, it is understood, have had contact from six clubs interested in signing Parker but none have yet matched the club's £8m valuation of the 30-year-old.

That could change this week, however, with QPR and Aston Villa both expected to make firm offers for the player.