WEST Ham might not count themselves among the clubs fighting for Premiership survival but, after defeat at the Reebok left them just three points ahead of Wanderers, Glenn Roeder knows there is no margin for error.

"We've still got a lot to play for," the Hammers boss said, "in front of us as well as what's happening behind us.

"But it's up to us to make sure we are not involved (in the relegation fight). The annoying thing is that, when you look at other results, had we managed to pick up the result we were looking for, we could have nearly had a situation where we are thinking of nothing other than looking up.

"But there are still a lot of teams in the bottom half of the table who need to get 40 points as quickly as possible and it would help us if we could pick up another win on our travels."

Whether they like it or not, West Ham remain in a precarious position, although their home form suggests they have what it takes to eventually steer clear of trouble.

"We play like that at home and we get the goals," Roeder said, lamenting the failure of his attackers to make their territorial supremacy count in the second period.

"David James was a spectator in the second half but we didn't make enough clear-cut chances and didn't take the chances we had - particularly the Christian Dailly header. He was disappointed he didn't hit the target and at least make the keeper make a save.

"We just couldn't turn all that possession into a goal - then the keeper did well for them late on (Jaaskelainen saving Kitson's header).

"But we can't look backwards. We haven't picked up enough points on our travels this year so we've got to make sure we are fully prepared for our next home game against Middlesbrough."

Roeder refused to offer his manpower shortage as an excuse for the defeat. He was without suspended duo Paolo di Canio and Tomas Repka and injury and illness kept out Michael Carrick, Don Hutchison and Trevor Sinclair. But the manager said: "I think the boys who came in acquitted themselves well and their performance was good enough to have taken something from the game.

"I'm not disappointed at all with the effort they put in. They gave all they could give and they are a very disappointed group of players. We don't often go away and dominate a half like that."

He was disappointed with his team, however, for allowing Ricardo Gardner the space and time to hit the matchwinner.

"I thought it was an excellent strike," Roeder said of the Jamaican's low left-footer. "He caught it sweetly but we should have had someone on the edge of the box a lot closer to him so that we could have got there and blocked it. He had much too much time to get his shot away."