Football
ESPN staff 9y

Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew admits 'scoreline flattered us' in win

Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew was glad to have watched his side come through after a slow start as they beat Norwich 3-1.

Palace went ahead with a well-taken finish from Wilfried Zaha on 39 minutes and doubled their lead at the start of the second half through captain Damien Delaney.

Substitute Nathan Redmond gave the Canaries hope with a 25-yard strike on 69 minutes before Jerome thought he had hooked in an equaliser - only for the goal to be ruled out for dangerous play.

Palace scored a third deep into stoppage time through Yohan Cabaye and Pardew admitted his team had been lucky.

"After about five minutes I realised I had picked the wrong team and realised the balance of the team was not very good,'' he said. "Norwich were brilliant in the first 20 minutes and should have gone ahead, so we adjusted the wingers and that helped us, but after our second goal we got a bit comfortable.

"Although we got a third with the last kick, no doubt the score flattered us because this was a game which was even and we just had some nice quality moments.

"Sometimes as a manager your players have to get you out of jail, and at the end I thanked them for it.''

Pardew admitted the scoreline did not reflect the balance of play.

"I went to see him [the referee] and said 'why have you disallowed it?' and he said 'dangerous play in box'," he said. "To be fair to him if it's anywhere else on the pitch -- and my guys head's right on the end of his foot -- you're going to get a foul.

"In the penalty area if an overhead kick from the striker goes in, you're disappointed [that it is ruled out]. "If Yannick Bolasie scores that, I'd feel hard done by if it got disallowed. I understand Norwich's frustration.

"The penalty -- I didn't think it was. Connor is a big, strong boy and stood his ground. I didn't see much in that. We scored with the last kick of the game, there's no doubt it flattered us."

Palace's record signing Cabaye impressed and Pardew is expecting more.

"He needs to gain his strength and power back," he said. "He's had a year out of the game really, not playing at this level and this intensity and playing in Ligue 1 isn't like this.

"He didn't get many games. He needs to harden up. But of course his set-plays were on the money, his finish at the end shows he has that great quality. Once he hardens up after six or seven games we'll see the real Yohan."

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