Sam Allardyce pleased despite defeat

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has revealed that he is pleased with his side's performance, despite their 1-0 defeat at Manchester United on Wednesday.

Robin van Persie scored inside 31 seconds at Old Trafford as the Hammers slumped to their second loss in a row in the Premier League.

"It was a test of character for my players," Allardyce told Sky Sports News. "We are all disappointed that we lost the match, but we kept our shape and our tactics.

"I was pleased with the energy we had, especially in the latter end of the game. The energy that we showed today was outstanding."

Wednesday's defeat has seen West Ham slip down to 10th place in the table.