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Alan Pardew says Crystal Palace loss would have been an injustice

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Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew hopes the late equaliser against Bournemouth at Selhurst Park will provide a springboard

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew believed it would have been an 'injustice' if his side had not managed to come away with a share of the spoils in their game with Bournemouth which eventually ended 1-1.

Yet to register a goal in the Premier League so far this season, it looked like that run would stretch for the third game running, when Yohan Cabaye saw his 12th minute penalty saved and with Artur Boruc in the visitors' goal doing all he could to preserve the lead given to them by Josh King, Palace seemed destined for more disappointment.

Still they pressed forward and, with a minute of stoppage time remaining, captain Scott Dann was the hero, rising the highest to equalise and save the day for Pardew, who told Sky Sports, he felt that goal was much deserved for their dominant second-half display.

"I was thinking what an injustice if we don't get something. We didn't have a lot of time to do team plays this week and it showed. We looked all over the place and they deserved to be in the lead. Second half we got to grips, got our confidence up a bit.

"Second half, I have not seen a game so one-sided in the Premier League for so long and we just couldn't get a goal. This period of the international break has come at a welcome time for us.

"The penalty miss was a blow to us, it really affected us. Sometimes penalties work like that - score and you get a boost or you feel sorry for yourself and step off and that's exactly what we did. Bournemouth took full advantage and we were lucky not to be two down after that penalty miss."

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Watch highlights of Crystal Palace 1-1 Bournemouth

Club-record signing Christian Benteke - who cost £27m from Liverpool - was handed his full league debut for Palace and although he won the penalty moments after Bournemouth had scored, failed to do much else of note from then on. 

However, his performance did not concern Pardew, who feels it is only a matter of time before the Belgian comes good.

"Well I think he showed little flashes," Pardew added. "He is nowhere near ready and, let's be honest, he hasn't had enough game time. He's undefendable if you get the right kind of service into him."

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