Boss Joe Royle spent another post-match press conference bemoaning a harsh sending off after Ricardo Fuller received the Blues' sixth red card of the season. It has emerged that the linesman felt the Jamaican had gestured towards him rather than the crowd, leading to the dismissal.

Royle said: "Yet again, we have finished a game with 10 men, and yet again we are puzzled.

"I have written to the head of referees as well as the League Managers' Association and the Professional Footballers' Association to complain about the standard of refereeing.

"The fans were giving Ricardo a hard time, and in his frustration he stuck two fingers up at them. I don't believe that is a sending-off offence.

"We are not a dirty team, but we have had six sendings-off this season for hardly anything."

The Town manager felt his side could have won: "We played the better football and, with a bit more luck and a few more decisions in our favour, we might have won it.

"I was delighted with the performance and it was more good experience for our young players, but we needed three points today to be back in the shake-up."

Fuller's red card will see him miss next week's home game with Hull which would have been the last match of his month on loan. Town manager Joe Royle has stated on a number of occasions that he would like to sign Fuller, who has become the first Town loanee ever to be sent off, on a permanent basis but will assess whether to extend his spell this week.

Fuller told the club site that the officials interpreted his gesture wrongly: "They thought I was showing dissent to the linesman but that was not the case."

Second half sub Chris Casement was pleased with his debut: "The gaffer told me to go out and enjoy it and play with a smile on my face and I did just that.

"It was great to be in the 16 but getting on was a terrific bonus and I was just thrilled to be given a chance.

"The pace was certainly quicker than the U18s and reserves, but I felt I did OK and got forward as much as I could.

"I felt we were worth the draw and had chances to have won the game, but for me personally, it's about building from here and aiming to hold down a regular place in the first team squad."

Palace manager Iain Dowie said his side failed to capitalise after taking the lead twice: "It was a difficult day. It was not a poor performance, but we had enough chances to have won the game.

"We led twice, and we should have killed the game off. Our final ball was not as good as it should have been and we didn't look as assured as we usually do at the back.

"For their second goal, we made a stupid decision to allow Matthew Richards time to cross with his left foot, and we didn't pick up Fuller in the box. Now we need a big performance at Leeds on Tuesday."

Photo: Action Images

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