WEST Ham boss Sam Allardyce described their 3-1 home win over Derby as the proverbial "game of two halves".

He said his players were all "disappointed" with their first-half performance and that the visitors would have felt it was "unjust" to go in level pegging at the break.

But he said he felt they were dominant after the break and could have won by more.

He said: "In the second half we saw the best of our players - better movement, better options and more attempts on goal.

"It was a fantastic goal from Kevin Nolan, and a penalty, and we had many chances to score more goals, particularly Freddie Piquionne.

"He had an excellent match when he came on but he had two headers at goal and one one-on-one, and that could have made it even more comfortable.

"But overall the game was the old adage of a game of two halves."

Allardyce said he felt they were now seeing the best of Julian Faubert this season because he now felt "comfortable" at the club for the first time.

He said: "With someone like Julian, we had to get the best out of him because he is on big money.

"He came here and didn't quite produce, but now we are seeing the benefits of him playing consistently well in the wide right position and at right back."

Allardyce said he was happy to see Matt Taylor return to action as a second-half substitute following a long injury lay off, and also revealed that striker Sam Baldock had been forced off with a hamstring injury, and that they would know more about the extent of the damage following a scan.

Derby boss Nigel Clough said he felt referee Colin Webster had been too quick to award a debatable second-half penalty.

He said: "I have not seen it, but I've been told it was outside.

"The referee gave it very enthusiastically.

"That sort of things happens when a decision has to be made if it's inside or outside, and you get them and you don't get them."

Clough also said he felt the goal from Ipswich loanee Tamas Priskin would do his confidence "the world of good".

He said: "I was very pleased with him today. He did not get an awful lot of decent service, but he did OK."