Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has revealed that he was 'disappointed' with an early refereeing decision that went against his side in the opening 15 minutes of the game with Manchester United.
Pardew believes that his side should have been awarded a penalty for being denied a goal-scoring opportunity, after Yoan Gouffran appeared to go down in the box under the challenge of Juan Mata.
Referee Mike Jones decided against awarding the penalty, leaving the Newcastle manager wondering whether the decision will have had a huge impact on the game.
"I thought we started the game well and the referee has made a bad call early, because I think that is a penalty. It's a goal-scoring opportunity, so you have to say that was clumsy and a penalty. I was disappointed with that," the 53-year-old told reporters after the game.
"But the cutting edge was the difference between the two teams – they were really good going forward and when we over-committed they were clinical.
"I think some of the performances from our players were outstanding, particularly Perez. The more he plays the more he engrains himself into the fabric of the team. [But] I think we need to defend better today – I think that is where we came unstuck."
The game was 0-0 at the time of the incident, but the Red Devils went on to win 3-1 thanks to two Wayne Rooney goals and a Robin van Persie strike.
Sam McEvoy
