Sunderland and West Ham United have played out a lively 1-1 draw in this afternoon's Premier League clash at the Stadium of Light.
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The hosts dominated possession in the early stages, but the Hammers had arguably the better chances.
Andy Carroll came close with a header following Diafra Sakho's cross, before Carl Jenkinson saw a close-range drive denied.
On the quarter-hour mark, the visitors had another chance when Jenkinson struck a dangerous effort from the edge of the area, but Costel Pantilimon had it covered.
It was the Black Cats who broke the deadlock midway through the first half. Adam Johnson was felled by James Tomkins, prompting the referee to give a penalty.
Jordi Gomez confidently struck the ball into the West Ham net from the spot to gift his side the lead, much to Sam Allardyce's displeasure.
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The visitors were able to draw level on 29 minutes, however, with Stewart Downing cutting in from the right flank and firing a shot that flew into the net following a deflection off Gomez's boot.
West Ham ended the first half on a high as Sakho sprinted between two defenders to chase a ball over the top, only to fire an effort just wide of the far post, although they were lucky to escape when Jozy Altidore missed a gilt-edged chance at the other end moment later.
Both sides were quick out of the starting blocks after the break, with the best chance coming for the visitors just before the hour when Aaron Cresswell was played in on goal, but Pantilimon's reactions thwart the full-back.
The Hammers continued to dominate and a stray ball in the Sunderland box - following a tackle on Sakho - fell into the path of Carroll in the 65th minute, but the England frontman opted to loft it over Pantilimon, with his effort ending a few inches over the bar.
Midway through the second half, Sunderland felt that they had a penalty shout when Sebastian Larsson's chipped ball into the area was handled by Winston Reid, but the referee waved away the appeals.
Just five minutes before time, the Black Cats had a great chance to secure a winner, with the ball falling for Connor Wickham to strike on the edge of the area, but Hammers keeper Adrian produced a fine save to tip over the crossbar.
The result means that Sunderland sit 15th in the Premier League table, two points away from the drop zone, while the Hammers remain in fourth place.
Giuseppe Labellarte
