Full-time: Sunderland 1 West Ham United 1

ANOTHER day, another draw, another shockingly bad miss in front of goal.

If it wasn’t already blindingly obvious that Sunderland need more firepower in January, then it is now.

Gus Poyet’s side have failed to score in half of their Premier League fixtures this season, and although they did find the net against West Ham – albeit from the penalty spot – the game provided more warning signs that another relegation battle could be on its way.

This was by no means the Black Cats’ worst performance of the season – far from it – but the worrying trend they have created will certainly set alarm bells ringing if it doesn’t change soon.

Like they have been in the majority of their games this season, the Wearsiders were difficult to break down and except for one individual mistake and a failure to close down one of the league’s most in-form players, West Ham’s dangerous front line of Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho was kept quiet.

In midfield, Seb Larsson and Lee Cattermole continued to dominate their opponents, but further up the pitch is where the problem lies.

Chances are being created and balls are coming into the box, but at the moment none of Sunderland’s front men look like stepping forward and taking responsibility.

Steven Fletcher has four league goals, but his form has come in fits and starts. Connor Wickham has two from playing in his new role on the wing. Jozy Altidore has none.

Fletcher has been struggling with various niggles recently so Poyet showed faith to start the USA international against Liverpool and West Ham.

It has been over a year since he last scored a Premier League goal – his only one in 42 appearances – and he spurned arguably the best chance he will have all season against the Hammers.

After Jordi Gomez’s 22nd minute penalty was cancelled out by Stewart Downing’s deflected drive, Larsson managed to cut the ball back to Altidore three yards out with only an open net to hit.

It was the perfect opportunity to score an easy goal, get some confidence back and restore his side’s lead on the stroke of half time, but instead the striker panicked as the ball came his way and the ball hit him as he awkwardly attempted to make contact.

Altidore’s miss encapsulates Sunderland’s scoring woes – only Aston Villa and Burnley have notched fewer– and it is becoming more and more apparent that unless better quality is acquired, their position will only get worse.

Altidore was visibly upset as he left the field at half time, but fellow striker Fletcher is confident the American international will get over his woeful miss.

“It could have changed the game,” the Scotsman admitted. “He’s disappointed, but these things happen. We all miss chances. I’ve missed a few in my time. He’ll get over it quite quickly and hopefully come back stronger for a big game next weekend.

“It’s hard for strikers because you maybe get one chance in a game and if you don’t get it you get criticised. He’s unlucky. It came at him quite quickly. I didn’t think Seb was going to get there, he showed a bit of pace I didn’t really know he had to get the cross in. It was just unlucky Jozy couldn’t put it away.

“He’s got to forget about it quick. It’s just one of those things. We all miss chances and I think I’ve missed worse if I’m honest. He’s got to get over it quick and he will.”

Saturday’s result was Sunderland’s tenth draw of the campaign and it left them two points off the bottom three heading into next weekend’s Tyne and Wear derby.

Given their performances at St James’ Park of late, maybe the game will come at the perfect time for Poyet’s men to banish their woes in front of goal, but putting three points on the board is all that matters right now.

Fletcher believes the Black Cats will be fine as long as they keep accumulating points and insists the team is in a far better place than it was a year ago despite certain problems persisting.

He said: “It (ten draws) can’t be a bad thing. It’s a point and we’re happy as long as we can start turning the draws into wins.

“We’re creating chances so if we start putting them away we will start winning games. We are hard to beat at the moment.

“From last year to this season it’s a big positive for us to have more points on the board. We just need to turn some of them into wins and we can have a good season.

“There are some games you look at this season that we probably would have lost last year. We’ve shut the door at the back and if we keep creating chances, which we did, we will be okay.”

While they created their own chances to win the match, the Black Cats were unlucky not to be awarded a second penalty when Winston Reid controlled a cross into the box with his hand.

It was far more obvious than James Tomkins’ foul on Adam Johnson for the first spot-kick, but referee Phil Dowd waved away their protests.