Lambert’s goal drought tests patience of Saints

Southampton 0 West Ham 0

This may have been a dream week for Lambert, who managed to play the last two games for England in the World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine, but his barren spell in front of goal continued for Southampton.

The talented forward has only scored once from the penalty spot in the opening game against West Brom and has only netted four goals in his last nine Premier League games.

Lambert would have loved to mark his 200th appearance for the club with a goal but he was denied by the woodwork early in the second half.

Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino revealed his frustration after the game and says he is desperate to see his star forward get back among the goals.

He said: “He has played the last two with the national side, which must be a huge boost for self-confidence, but strikers need to score goals, that is their bread and butter, and he hasn’t been able to do that. None of them were able to do that, so I’m frustrated.”

These are worrying times for Pochettino, who has failed to see his side find the net from open play this season.

Club record signing Dani Osvaldo is also looking for his first goal in English football, but surely it must only be a question of time before the duo start to hit the net.

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce can only dream of having the likes of Lambert and Osvaldo to choose from. Allardyce must be cursing the fact he didn’t buy another striker in the summer after also seeing his side crumble in front of goal again.

The east London club have been rocked by the news that club record signing Andy Carroll is facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a foot injury in training last Monday and it remains to be seen if he will play again in 2013.

West Ham have now gone three league games without a goal and with new signing Mladen Petric still short of fitness, there is further pressure on Modibo Maiga to net his first goal of the season.

The fact the best chance of the game fell to central defender James Collins late in the game says everything about West Ham ’s problems.

Allardyce was also left fuming over a two-footed challenge by Morgan Schneiderlin on Mohamed Diame in the first half and the fact Andre Marriner didn’t even give a foul. Allardyce fumed: “It wasn’t even a free-kick and I can’t for the life of me see how Andre, an experienced referee now, didn’t see that.”

Kevin Nolan did have the ball in the back of the net for West Ham on 31 minutes but his effort was ruled offside. Victor Wanyama’s long-range shot on 48 minutes was tipped over the bar by Jussi Jaaskelainen. From the resulting corner Lambert’s header came back off the post.

West Ham could have stolen the points late on but Collins who with the goal at his mercy somehow managed to drag his shot over the bar.

SOUTHAMPTON: Boruc 8; Clyne 6, Fonte 6, Lovren 6, Shaw 8 (Chambers 77); Rodriguez 7, Schneiderlin 7, Wanyama 7, Lallana 6 (Ward-Prowse 71); Osvaldo 7, Lambert 8.

WEST HAM: Jaaskelainen 9; Demel 6 (Rat 61), Collins 5, Reid 6, O’Brien 6; Noble 6, Morrison 8 (Taylor 77); Diame 6, Nolan 7, Jarvis 6; Maiga 5 (Vaz Te 67).

Referee: A Marriner.