Wednesday 4 March 2015 12:20, UK
Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew believes his side deserved more from their 1-0 defeat at Southampton.
Saido Mane’s late goal was the difference between the sides at St Mary’s as both teams struggled to find their attacking rhythm.
But Pardew, who thinks his side should have had a penalty for Jose Fonte’s challenge on Yannick Bolaise, bemoaned the way his side gifted Southampton the winner.
“They are a bit lucky to win that and they know it,” Pardew told Sky Sports.
“In the second-half when we played our normal game we were much more of a threat on the break.
“We started causing problems and we should have scored. We had two great opportunities and then I think we should have a penalty.
“Fonte, whose coming through the back of players all night, is over aggressive in the box on Bolasie and I think that’s a pen. We should be given that.
“Then there was a really soft goal for them which perhaps they needed. They may have deserved it from the other games but they didn’t deserve it against us.”
On night when both sides struggled to create chances, Palace went closest when Wilfried Zaha’s second-half shot hit the post but Pardew admitted his attacking unit ddid not click at St. Mary’s.
He added: “I felt that we struggled as an attacking unit.
“I didn’t think our strikers got much protection with their aggressive centre-halves coming through the back of players.
“We couldn’t retain the ball so we changed it around and it worked a little bit better. Second-half we were the dominant side and the team that looked like they were going to win it, creating chances when Southampton weren’t really creating anything. It’s a real shame to lose.
“The disappointment won’t go away you lose but there were some great performances from my players again and if we keep that going we’ll be fine.”
