Hammers’ winless streak reaches dirty dozen

West Ham 1 Fulham 1

Roeder's 10 men, bidding to become the first Premiership team to be bottom at Christmas and avoid relegation, claimed a point when Trevor Sinclair's penalty cancelled out Facundo Sava's opener.

West Ham have now gone more than four months without success at Upton Park.

But Roeder, who criticised Tomas Repka after he was sent off for dissent in injury-time, insisted: "I've got to remain positive which hasn't been a problem for me this season and the players will bounce off me.

"We've had a number of games in which we've played well enough to win but haven't. The players are now thinking about trying to get us out of this hole we're in and it is a big one."

Repka argued with referee Dermot Gallagher about a Steve Marlet chance and was promptly booked and then shown a straight red card. Roeder was furious with his centre-back, now booked 10 times this season as well as being dismissed, and is considering fining him.

"There is not defence for Tomas Repka. He knows he's wrong now but it's too late now. I'm not even going to attempt to make an excuse for him. I'll wait to see what the referee's report says. There is a disciplinary code at the club and if it needs to activated, it will be.

"I haven't spoken to Repka yet. I'll sleep on it and speak to him in the morning.

"He's certainly got a reputation for picking up too many yellows and he's run out of control this season."

Jermain Defoe hit the post with a clever 22-yard free-kick at the end of a disjointed first half.

But Sava struck four minutes after the break, sliding in to convert Steve Finnan's excellent cross.

Sinclair hammered home the equaliser from the penalty spot after Sylvain Legwinski's 65th-minute handball.

West Ham keeper David James performed heroics to keep the scores level, finger-tipping Marlet's point-blank effort onto the post.

But Roeder must now wait until the January 4 FA Cup clash with Division One promotion-chasers Nottingham Forest for the next opportunity to end his home hoodoo.

Fulham assistant boss Christian Damiano agreed with referee Gallagher's penalty award but claimed the official should have awarded a foul just before.

"We're disappointed about the penalty because, before the corner-kick which led to it, there was a huge foot on Maik Taylor," the Frenchman said.

"It was a penalty because it was handball but before that, there was a great, great foul committed on Maik. That's very strange and, at this level, that's bad."

WEST HAM: James, Schemmel, Repka, Dailly, Winterburn, Cole, Lomas (Hutchison 76), Carrick, Sinclair, Defoe, Kanoute (Pearce 68).

FULHAM: Taylor, Finnan, Melville, Goma, Brevett, Malbranque (Goldbaek 78), Legwinski (Djetou 65), Wome, Davis, Sava (Hammond 89), Marlet.

Referee: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).