Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew dismisses Norwich penalty claims
Saturday 8 August 2015 19:01, UK
Alan Pardew concedes that Crystal Palace were perhaps lucky to see a Norwich equaliser controversially disallowed but dismissed claims they should have had a stoppage time penalty.
Goals from Wilfried Zaha and Damien Delaney gave the visitors a 2-0 lead before Nathan Redmond reduced the deficit for Norwich.
Cameron Jerome then had a strike chalked off as referee Simon Hooper adjudged the striker to have used a high boot to put the ball into the net as he challenged Joel Ward in the air.
Pardew felt that call may have been harsh but accused Sebastien Bassong of overplaying appeals for a penalty as Norwich chased the game in time added on before Yohan Cabaye scored a third to seal all three points for Palace.
“I’ve seen the penalty decision; I don’t think that was a penalty because that is him making a big meal of a little nudge but the second goal is tough for them.
“It is an overhead kick in the box. If it is in the middle of the pitch it is definitely a foul for us because obviously it is going to damage someone’s head but there it is up in the air a little bit.
“If it was the other way around I would feel disheartened by that decision but, in a way, I guess if it would be made anywhere else on the pitch it could be made there too and he (Hooper) made that call.”
Despite the controversy surrounding those incidents, Pardew was happy to start the season with a win but admitted to having to make early changes to his side after a good start from Norwich.
“It has been a great day for us,” Pardew said. “We’ve looked forward to this game – a really slippery one we have done well to win.
“Norwich were brilliant in the first 20 (minutes). I thought I picked the wrong team today and we struggled a little bit.
“We had to shuffle our pack to cope with Norwich and that helped us and we went on before half time and had a good spell, scored the goal and literally straight after half time got a great second goal - a well worked set play.
“We looked comfortable until we made a tiny error and it is 2-1 and then the game is in the balance, Norwich perhaps had a great couple of moments, and the margins are that small.
“A game that looked over was suddenly alive and we hang on. We showed typical Palace characteristics of digging in and, in the last kick of the game, which did flatter us, we got a third goal but it was a tough game.”
Yohan Cabaye scored on his return to the Premier League and Pardew, who knows the player from their time together at Newcastle says he will only get better as the season goes on.
“He (Cabaye) had his little moments today, not as many as normal, but he has got to re-adjust from the bench at PSG to the first team in the Premier League and it is a tough adjustment.
“I thought he took his goal brilliantly and that shows when the moment arrives for Yohan he delivers and some of his set plays were terrific. His fitness and his strength will come.”
