SAM Allardyce believes Saturday's scoreless draw with Fulham illustrated how far Wanderers have progressed since winning promotion.

In the same fixture last season, when they ran away with the Division One Championship, Jean Tigana's team were light years ahead. But not this time.

"Everybody knows that they played us out of sight a year ago," the Reebok boss acknowledged as he looked back on a 2-0 defeat that could have been much more embarrassing. "But this time it was reversed. We were much the better side.

"I wouldn't be so silly as to suggest we pass the ball as well as they do but we are effective with our passing."

The manager's only disappointment was the fact Wanderers failed to get the goal that would have given them the home win they have hankered after since beating Liverpool on August 27.

"The final ball into the box just wasn't good enough," he conceded. "When we wanted quality, we didn't get it, hence we didn't get as many chances as we would have liked. But we had a few very near things. It's a great shame because a 1-0 victory for us would have been brilliant.

"Apart from sticking the ball in the back of the net, we dominated the game. There was nothing Fulham troubled us with throughout the game and it was just a pity we didn't clinch the three-pointer."

The bonus, having conceded nine goals in their previous four home games, was seeing Wanderers keep a clean sheet - a factor Allardyce attributed to veteran centre backs Gudni Bergsson and Mike Whitlow, who have become one of the most respected pairings in the top flight.

"The two 'old-timers' marshalled Fulham's front two without any problems throughout the whole game," he said in a glowing and grateful tribute.

"That gave us the impetus to go and try and get one (a goal). Unfortunately for us they were all just the wrong side of the post.

"But it was probably our best performance over the whole 90 minutes from an attacking point of view."

Allardyce is mindful, however, that results at the Reebok need to improve if Wanderers are to stay away from the lower reaches of the Premiership. Despite possessing one of the best away records in the division, they have failed to deliver a win in front of their home fans for three months and there is a danger of that becoming a burden.

"We have only scored in one of our last five home games," he observed. "We have created opportunities but we haven't taken them as we have away from home and that's a little bit of a concern.

"But, performing the way we did against a side of Fulham's quality - considering what we've brought in and what they have spent - we may have turned the corner.

"I think it will come but we must start turning good performances into wins, certainly at home. It would be too much to keep expecting to win away from home."

Wanderers are, nevertheless, on schedule to hit the marks they set themselves at the start of the campaign.

"We set targets for each set of 10 games up to 30 and then for the last eight," the manager confirmed.

"We hit our first total, which was 15 points from the first 10 and we are well on our way to next total - but I am not saying what it is!"