Football: MERSE IN A FURY AT SPOT-KICK

WALSALL caretaker manager 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 next week 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?"

Walsall needed a win to have a good chance of avoiding the drop but this result leaves their destiny in the hands of other teams.

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

Merson said: "We came with a plan to try to frustrate them because they are the bang on-form team and we are a bottom-three team.

"I am devastated because the lads worked so hard and they almost got the result that they deserved.

"This result hurt more than all the others because we came so close."

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.

The visitors 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 at the far post.

Late on, when Palace couldn't find a way through Walsall's defence, Iain Dowie brought on Tommy Black and Dougie Freedman in a bid to snatch the winner.

Black picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and skipped past a couple of defenders before being dumped on the ground by Paul Ritchie.

Johnson stepped up to fire a hard spot-kick to the bottom left- hand corner, but the impressive Walker guessed right and parried the ball - only for Johnson to smash home the rebound.

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

"They came with a system. Paul had them organised and there were some good performances from his players."

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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