WELL if we didn't realise how important it is to take your chances in the Premier League before Saturday then we certainly do now!

After an impressive opening 45 minutes (where have I said that before?) we found ourselves 2-0 down before we’d even blinked after the break.

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We started the game with real intent and had a nice look to us, moving the ball from back to front with pace and precision.

George Boyd – whose first goal in claret and blue proved to be a mere consolation – struck the bar with a superb turn and shot after some neat control on the edge of the area while Lukas Jutkiewicz had a goal chalked off for offside after a driving run and shot by Danny Ings was spilled.

West Ham United, to their credit, have changed their philosophy this season and even though we were the better side by a country mile, they had a couple of good chances themselves.

Long gone are the days of the Sam Allardyce long ball and their new style of play made for a fantastic game of football... until half-time at least.

After the break it was a completely different story and two early goals – the first a header from man of the moment Diafra Sakho, the second a superb header from strike partner Enner Valencia – punished us in the harshest way possible for the missed chances of the first half.

To be fair, the defending on both was uncharacteristically poor and Sean Dyche admitted after the game that we had been far too slow starting the second half.

There was a glimmer of hope when Boyd smashed the ball home from close range after Hammers keeper Adrian dropped a corner and it could have been all square just a couple of minutes later but Danny Ings header flew just wide.

The second half was a lot flatter than the first and despite plenty of good forward play, we never really looked like being able to break down a stubborn West Ham defence.

When sub Carlton Cole nodded home the third from close range on 70 minutes, it felt like an opportunity missed and the game was gone.

There were plenty of positives to take but we must start taking these chances because we created enough in that first half to win this match comfortably.

We're still looking for that first win and with another home game on Sunday - albeit against a resurgent Everton - we have another chance to end the drought.

I just hope we don't pass up the opportunity.