West Ham United stopper Adrian bemoaned the Hammers’ ill fortune after Rickie Lambert’s deflected drive denied the hosts all three Barclays Premier League points against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
The Spaniard had absolutely no chance with Winston Reid’s 50th minute own goal, as the ball cannoned off the New Zealander’s arm and into the opposite corner.
But Adrian would still have a major say in proceedings as he pulled off a stunning reaction stop to repel Salomon Rondon’s header from six yards.
The Spaniard had absolutely no chance with Winston Reid’s 50th minute own goal, as the ball cannoned off the New Zealander’s arm and into the opposite corner.
But Adrian would still have a major say in proceedings as he pulled off a stunning reaction stop to repel Salomon Rondon’s header from six yards.
The Hammers have now gone eight league outings without keeping a clean sheet and Adrian hopes Lady Luck will soon be smiling on his side once again.
Speaking of his crucial stop from Rondon, a typically modest Adrian said: “It was a good save, but we were unlucky with the goal because we wanted to get the three points.
“I try to help the team with my saves and this time I helped the team to keep one more point. We need to keep working to get the three points in the next game.
“It's difficult to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League because the other teams that you play are good also and they create opportunities.”
Adrian felt the Hammers were on course for victory until Reid’s inadvertent intervention and the 28-year-old said it would have been nothing more than West Ham deserved, had they departed the Boleyn Ground with all three points.
“Until the goal, we played very well, we kept the ball, we control the game but we were a little bit unlucky with the goal," he continued.
“It was deflection, off the elbow, I think, off Reidy and it ended up in the other side of the goal. This is football, sometimes you need a little bit of luck to win.
“It's one more point, one more point to keep us in the top eight of the table, but we always want to get the three points and also here, playing at home, we deserved to win. The fans deserved another win and at the end, we get one more point but nobody is happy with this.”
Like many an onlooker, Adrian is baffled by the Hammers’ comparatively disappointing results against the league’s so-called smaller sides, and sees no reason why Slaven Bilic’s men cannot spring yet another surprise at Old Trafford on Saturday.
“We need to concentrate and show the same performance against every team, and we have another good opportunity next week away against Manchester United. I think we can play a great game there and, of course, to get the three points.
“We need to work this week to get the result there and just to concentrate and give our best level. We have a good team, a good squad, but sometimes you have to also have a little bit of luck to win. This time against West Brom we didn't have it, but we hope to get it at Manchester United next time.”