Allardyce hails Adrian heroics

Sam Allardyce hailed goalkeeper Adrian after he pulled off a penalty save to deny Charlie Austin and help earn West Ham a 0-0 draw against QPR.

With the match goalless midway through the first half, the Spaniard saved with his feet at Loftus Road as Austin looked to go straight down the middle from 12 yards.

The stop was Adrian’s third in succession from the spot in the Premier League, and led to Allardyce singing the praises of his number one.

“I think he’s proving to be one of the best goalkeepers in the league this season,” said the West Ham manager.

“He’s getting better and better, on a consistent basis, and he’s proving that the second most important player in your team after a goalscorer is your goalkeeper – and he won us a point today.

“That’s three penalty saves on the trot now, so when you’ve got someone like that in goal, it makes everybody more confident.

“He spreads fear across the league now, because everybody knows how good he is – especially at penalties.”