Alan Curbishley has praised his players after coming away from in-form Portsmouth with a richly-deserved point.
Although West Ham United needed Robert Green's last-gasp penalty save from Benjani Mwaruwari to earn a 0-0 draw, the manager felt the result against Harry Redknapp's high-flying side was fully deserved. "Portsmouth are on a good run and this isn't an easy place to come to," Curbishley said after also seeing Green make a string of defiant stops and lone-striker Carlton Cole rock the home crossbar.
"My players have really dug in today and, in some respects, I'm disappointed that we only got a point. But, then again after the way that the game panned out perhaps I should be grateful, because even that could've been snatched away from us at the end."
Referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot in the third minute of added time when the ball struck Danny Gabbidon on the arm with the defender just on the edge of the penalty area. "It was a harsh decision to give a penalty like that in the 93rd minute and, even if it had gone for us up at the other end, then I still would've felt exactly the same.
"Suddenly, in the heat of the moment, we thought that it had all gone against us," concluded Curbishley. "And after that we could only hope that Greeny would change it and thankfully he did with that penalty save.
In the end, justice was done." West Ham United are next in action on Tuesday night against Coventry City in the Carling Cup fourth round, for ticket information click here