FREEDMAN UNHAPPY WITH PENALTY

Post-match reaction to the 1-1 draw between Crystal Palace and Brighton.

Last Updated: 31/01/12 at 23:16 Post Comment    Bet with SkyBet  npower Championship. Click here to bet.

Poyet thought neither penalty should have stood

Poyet thought neither penalty should have stood

Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman felt his side were on the wrong end of referee Stuart Attwell's penalty decisions in the 1-1 draw with rivals Brighton.

Attwell pointed to the spot in the 64th minute when Wilfried Zaha was felled by Will Buckley and Chris Martin slammed home the spot-kick.

But 10 minutes later Attwell adjudged Nathaniel Clyne to have brought down Buckley in the area and Ashley Barnes duly stepped up to grab a point for the Seagulls.

"Wilfried felt his back leg had been taken, I think it was more of a penalty than Brighton's was," said Freedman.

"But we gave the referee the opportunity to give a penalty with some sloppy play. We could have defended it better."

Brighton manager Gus Poyet, who saw his side drop their first points of 2012, had a slightly different view.

"I don't think either of them were penalties, so it's okay," he said with a smile.

That Zaha was even in the starting line-up was a triumph for Freedman, who managed to ward off Bolton's deadline-day bid for the teenage winger.

But he insisted: "There was never any doubt. I have a wonderful board here who back me and the decisions I make.

"We had a brief conversation and it wasn't the right time for him to go.

"The speculation doesn't affect Wilf, he's a young guy who's more interested in what DVDs to watch."

Brighton, buoyed by Saturday's FA Cup win over Newcastle, should have taken the lead in the first half through Craig Mackail-Smith but his close-range shot was straight at Julian Speroni.

Palace were also indebted to Speroni at the death after the Argentinian keeper pulled off a fine stop from Inigo Calderon's long-range drive.

It meant Brighton could not quite avenge September's defeat by Palace, their first in the league at their new Amex Stadium.

"Am I happy with a point? Probably not," added Poyet.

"We had the better opportunities, but it's not about how you play it's about how many goals you score.

"But it was a good derby, we are on a good run and haven't lost for a while."

Poyet also had to fight to keep hold of one of his stars after Cardiff failed in their bid to land winger Craig Noone.

"It's been a nightmare," he admitted.

"But we are delighted Nooney is staying with us. When I heard he was staying it was very good news."

Bet with SkyBet  npower Championship. Click here to bet.

Related News

Most Commented

Readers' Comments

T

here has only been 3 players who made me hold my breath in dread when they picked the ball up anywhere near our penalty area...in their prime Scholes and Giggs... and always Drogba. Awesome player who on his day was the best striker in the world in my opinion.

gunner14
Farewell Big, Brutal, Big-Balled B**tard

I

remember him scoring a 25-yarder, either the season just gone or the one before, against Bolton at the Reebok. I've never seen a ball hit that hard before in my entire life. You could almost feel the shockwave from his foot contacting it 40 yards away in the stands. Didier Droga. You might not have loved him, but you just had to be in awe of him.

jon_bwfc
Farewell Big, Brutal, Big-Balled B**tard

E

den Hazard, def. - 1) that girl in a club who makes eyes at you all night, who allows you to buy her a drink and walk her home arm in arm, who then gives you a suggestive kiss on her doorstep before declaring how tired she is and how she has to be up early the next day. 2) A cock tease.

cramp
Hazard 'terms agreed' with trio

Footer 365

Chelsea interested in Hulk

Porto striker Hulk is attracting interest from Chelsea and four other Premier League teams, according to his agent.

Parker trains despite injury

England midfielder Scott Parker took part in the opening training session of the Roy Hodgson era in Manchester on Wednesday.

Bad-boy Barton's bad news

After Joey Barton was on Wednesday banned for 12 matches and fined £75,000, TEAMtalk takes a look at the other incidents in Barton's career.

Mail Box

Kean - Lost It, & Other Hair Related Choices

The heat may well have got to one chap, who has come up with a few players/managers whose hair reflects their playing style. That, and the man who tamed Drogba...

Paying Tribute To Didier 'Beast' Drogba

He will be missed by Chelsea but also by other fans who had no choice but to stand back and admire. Plus, mails on Liverpool, Tottenham and the stout Irish defence...

© 2012 365 Media Group Ltd. All Rights Reserved