Intro:

Reaction after hosts Stoke City draw 2-2 against West Ham United in the Premier League.

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (English) Sam Allardyce, West Ham United Manager:

"A point that has been well earned, maybe not deserved but that's the way that the Barclays Premier League is but it shows the character of our team. When you always hear about teams that stay in the top half, or get near the top half and get something out of the game when you don't quite play as well as you want to and we haven't played as well as we (would) want to and we have got something out of the game. That says major volumes for the character of this team."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Mark Hughes, Stoke City Manager:

"We obviously needed to convert more chances than we did today because we were by far the superior team today in terms of quality and creativity. I don't know how many chances West Ham created - possibly two or three maximum - and they scored two goals. We had any number of chances and we could have been four or five to the good before they even had a shot on goal. So, we are disappointed that we haven't been able to capitalise on our superiority. We are disappointed with their first goal obviously. A poor challenge from (Alex) Song... dived in two-footed, two feet of the ground. Thankfully, Mame Diouf jumped out of the way but the referee should have stopped the game there and then. It was a poor challenge, a dangerous challenge and I dint know why... he (the referee) will argue that he tried to play advantage but we didn't gain one and actually we were disadvantaged because they go up the other end and score their opening goal and they are back in the game. So, that was a poor decision from the referee and he needs to do better than that."