Aaron Cresswell insisted the Hammers still have plenty to play for in their remaining seven games of the season.
Despite slipping to a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Leicester City, the in-form left-back maintained his side are focused on finishing the season as strongly as possible.
Speaking after the game, the 25-year-old said: “I don’t think the fact that we’re safe is any excuse, it shouldn’t be. We’re all winners, we’re professional and we came here to win. We’ve got seven games left to try and make sure we don’t let the season fizzle out.
“We’ve had some tough games recently but it’s not an excuse though. With seven games to go we have to try and get any many points as possible.”
In a highly entertaining game at the King Power Stadium, which saw both teams create a number of chances, the hosts broke the deadlock through Argentine international Esteban Cambiasso. The veteran midfielder lashed home the loose ball from the edge of the area on twelve minutes, giving Adrian little chance of getting his hands to it.
The afternoon could have gone a lot worse for the Hammers as Mark Clattenburg awarded the Foxes a penalty just minutes later when Carl Jenkinson tripped Leonardo Ulloa. Up stepped David Nugent yet Adrian confidently palmed his effort away, keeping his side in the game.
When asked about the Leicester's bright start, Cresswell conceded: “We had a sloppy first ten, 15 minutes and we weren’t good enough. They scored and then Adrian saved the penalty which kept us in it. After that we regrouped and took control.
“With them being in a relegation fight we knew the atmosphere was always going to be good. The game could’ve been over if they scored the penalty. After that I thought we controlled the first half and the second half was pretty end-to-end.”
In response to going a goal down, the Hammers created a number of chances either side of Cheikhou Kouyate’s thumping equaliser on the half-hour mark.
In the second half, Kouyate hit the post after good work from Diafra Sakho and Stewart Downing went close on two occasions.
It was these missed opportunities which left Cresswell ruing what might have been: “Cheik took his goal very well. But we need to take our chances that we do create because at this level you’ll get punished and that’s exactly what happened.
“Cheik hit the post and we had a fewer other chances too. We didn’t take the chances we did make and we suffered a sucker punch at the end."
Despite slipping to a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Leicester City, the in-form left-back maintained his side are focused on finishing the season as strongly as possible.
Speaking after the game, the 25-year-old said: “I don’t think the fact that we’re safe is any excuse, it shouldn’t be. We’re all winners, we’re professional and we came here to win. We’ve got seven games left to try and make sure we don’t let the season fizzle out.
“We’ve had some tough games recently but it’s not an excuse though. With seven games to go we have to try and get any many points as possible.”
In a highly entertaining game at the King Power Stadium, which saw both teams create a number of chances, the hosts broke the deadlock through Argentine international Esteban Cambiasso. The veteran midfielder lashed home the loose ball from the edge of the area on twelve minutes, giving Adrian little chance of getting his hands to it.
The afternoon could have gone a lot worse for the Hammers as Mark Clattenburg awarded the Foxes a penalty just minutes later when Carl Jenkinson tripped Leonardo Ulloa. Up stepped David Nugent yet Adrian confidently palmed his effort away, keeping his side in the game.
When asked about the Leicester's bright start, Cresswell conceded: “We had a sloppy first ten, 15 minutes and we weren’t good enough. They scored and then Adrian saved the penalty which kept us in it. After that we regrouped and took control.
“With them being in a relegation fight we knew the atmosphere was always going to be good. The game could’ve been over if they scored the penalty. After that I thought we controlled the first half and the second half was pretty end-to-end.”
In response to going a goal down, the Hammers created a number of chances either side of Cheikhou Kouyate’s thumping equaliser on the half-hour mark.
In the second half, Kouyate hit the post after good work from Diafra Sakho and Stewart Downing went close on two occasions.
It was these missed opportunities which left Cresswell ruing what might have been: “Cheik took his goal very well. But we need to take our chances that we do create because at this level you’ll get punished and that’s exactly what happened.
“Cheik hit the post and we had a fewer other chances too. We didn’t take the chances we did make and we suffered a sucker punch at the end."