Football: Merse fumes at ref

WALSALL caretaker boss Paul Merson slammed referee David Pugh over a last-gasp penalty that may cost his team their First Division status.

Merson was unhappy at his decision to award a penalty with just two minutes to go as his team crashed 1-0 to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Yesterday's result leaves the Walsall boss looking for his first win, and his team relying on other results if they are to avoid relegation.

"It wasn't a penalty," raged Merson. "I went in to see the referee after the game and he said he gave the penalty for obstruction.

"He said that it was a new rule and he had to give the decision, but why do they have to keep coming up with these new rules? Why don't they just stick someone upstairs - who knows what they are doing - with a television?"

Palace dominated from the start and left Walsall's players chasing shadows.

Palace twice had loud appeals for penalties turned down by referee Pugh as Walsall rode their luck. Andy Johnson, in particular, thought he had a strong case after he wriggled through and went down in a tangle of legs.

Walsall almost hit Palace with a classic sucker punch in first- half stoppage time when Darren Wrack was inches away from reaching a Mark Wright cross.

Then late on, Palace sub Tommy Black picked up the ball, skipped past a couple of defenders before being felled by Paul Ritchie.

Johnson blasted the penalty but Walker guessed right and parried only for Johnson to smash in the rebound.

Palace boss Dowie said: "I would agree that the decision the referee gave was not a penalty, but there were at least two that he should have given."

MAN OF THE MATCH ANDY JOHNSON

A constant threat

CRYSTAL PALACE: Vaesen 6, Granville 7, Popovic 7, Leigterwood 7, Butterfield 7, Gray 8, Riihilahti 7, Derry 6, Routledge 8, JOHNSON 9, Shipperley 8.

WALSALL: Walker 8, Aranalde 6, Roper 6, Ritchie 5, Bazeley 6, Wright 6, Andrews 6, Osborn 6, Wrack 6, Emblen 6, Bradbury 7.

MANAGERS: Dowie 8; Merson 7.

REFEREE: D Pugh 7.

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