Pardew: That was a dive

Cape Town - Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew was left frustrated after a late and contentious penalty saw his side lose 2-1 to Liverpool at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

The Eagles took the lead early in the second half through Joe Ledley's strike, but Roberto Firmino equalised for the Reds in the 72nd minute before Christian Benteke was brought down by Damien Delaney and buried the resulting penalty in the sixth minute of added time.

"I think everyone has seen the penalty," Pardew said after the match. "I think if you're the referee and you see that incident and you see the centre-half pulling out of the challenge, you don't give the penalty.

"The linesman assumes that that little touch is a penalty. He makes the most of it and he gives it. If you think that touch effects the fall that he has, then you seriously need to be consulted.

"I'm a football person and that touch doesn't warrant the dive that he makes and it's the dive that makes the linesman's mind up. I think it's an issue that's worrying in the game."

The Eagles looked to be in the driving seat after Reds midfielder James Milner was sent off for his second yellow card in the 62nd minute, and Pardew admitted they should have done better from their position of being a goal and a man up.

"We were disappointing after we scored, because up until that period we were great, as good as we've been," he added.

"I'm frustrated with the referee, I'm frustrated with the way that we didn't push on when they went down to 10 men.

"I'm frustrated with the substitutes who I thought should have all done better and I'm frustrated with myself as much as anything else."