Captain Jarrod Bowen admitted he and his teammates could have no excuses after Lesley Ugochukwu’s last-gasp equaliser denied them all three points at home to bottom side Southampton.
After a goalless first half, Bowen put the Hammers on course for a tenth win of the Premier League season when he struck within two minutes of the restart, with his tenth goal of the season in all competitions.
Niclas Füllkrug, Carlos Soler and substitute Luis Guilherme all missed chances to put the result beyond doubt, but the already-relegated Saints battled until the end and eventually punished their hosts three minutes into five added on, when Ugochukwu reacted first to a Maximilian Kilman block in the box to make it 1-1.
“I think we let ourselves in for it, which is really disappointing,” Bowen said. “I don't think we were anywhere near the levels we expect of ourselves today, and when you go 1-0 up in this league, it's so important to then stay on the front foot.
“I don't think we've done enough to go for that second or third goal, and then it felt like we were dropping deeper and not showing that bravery on the ball to retain possession and make them work.
“In this league, regardless of who you play against, if you let teams attack you for so long, they're going to punish you. And, to their credit, they've done that in the end.”
Having seen his team demonstrate their true potential at various points this season, including in February’s away win at Arsenal, and when they ran title favourites Liverpool close at Anfield last weekend, Bowen was understandably frustrated they were unable to end a five-game winless run back on home soil, after they had shown patience to break down a stern defence and take the lead.
And though he managed to etch his name on to the scoresheet, and edge closer to Michail Antonio’s Club record for Premier League strikes, with his 52nd in the competition, he acknowledged that it ultimately counted for nothing on a day he will remember as an opportunity missed.
The 28-year-old continued: “It’s difficult to put your finger on the difference in the performances. There's probably loads of things that we could sit and dissect. But ultimately, it's down to us that go out there and play.
“We knew it was going to be a difficult game, against their five, to break them down, and that it was going to be a game of frustration. We knew that, and at half-time we weren’t happy, but we came out in the second half and got the early goal. From that moment on, it’s up to us to take control and really cut the game off, but we haven’t been able to do that.
“It’s probably more of a mindset thing than anything else, because we've got a really good squad here. That’s something we need to look at as players, because we need to be able to take a game by the scruff of its neck.
“I got the goal, but really I think it counts for nothing. Scoring the goal for 1-0 is always nice, but now we’re sat here unhappy with the performance and the result, so it’s obviously very bittersweet.”
The point lifts West Ham up to 16th in the table for now, with several of the teams around them set to play later this weekend, and with five games of the season remaining Bowen is eyeing a fast finish.
He added: There’s still a lot of football to be played, and when you play for a Club of this size you have to turn up every single week and put your best effort in. That’s what the fans pay their money for, and what they expect.
“As captain, it’s up to me to rally everyone together and inspire a strong finish. We know it’s been a disappointing season, and there’s no hiding from that, but there are still opportunities to put in good performances, and to win games. That’s what we’ll be looking to do, so we can go into the summer on a high.”
