We have to hold our nerve - Allardyce - Sport in brief

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

A goalless draw at home to Everton might have counted as a creditable result but Stoke's win over Bolton saw Allardyce's men drop back into trouble.

"Some of the other results have not gone our way and it does help if other teams are slipping up," he said. "We are back in the bottom three but on the positive side we have picked up another valuable point, we have only lost two matches in 10 games, and our only away defeat was at Manchester United."

He added: "The one game we have in hand on most of the other teams could end up being critical.

"We should have been well out of it by now but we are not so we just have to hold our nerve, use our experience and fight and scrap to the bitter end."

Jason Roberts had the best chance of the match when he was through on goal only to be denied by Tim Howard, while Stephen Warnock rattled the bar with a free-kick.

Everton's best chance came from Steven Pienaar in the first half when he brought a brilliant save out of stand-in keeper Jason Brown, while Joleon Lescott's volley at the end came close to stealing victory for the visitors.

Everton manager David Moyes admitted to feeling some frustration.

"They had a good chance in the second half but we had a really good one in the first half when Steven had a good opportunity, and I thought he should have scored," he said. "We are disappointed, because we wanted to take three points.

"But teams have no divine right to go to places such as Blackburn and Newcastle and think they can walk all over them."