Town defender Luke Woolfenden claimed not applying the ‘dark arts’ played a part in the Blues’ 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Ismaïla Sarr’s 82nd-minute goal was the decisive moment in a contest that lacked too many moments of quality, but Woolfenden believes there might have been a decision for referee Simon Hooper to make when Kalvin Phillips was tackled by Daichi Kamada in the build-up.

The academy graduate, who was making his 200th start for the club on the same ground he made his first, insisted that his teammates should have contested the challenge stronger and suggested it may have resulted in a change of fortune.

“It’s a tackle that falls the wrong way, I think it’s a tackle that we win,” he said. “To be honest if we’re all smart and we run up to the ref and appeal it they’ll probably overturn it.

“We’ve seen so many times where there’s pressure on the ref and then VAR gets involved. It’s probably a bit of needing to learn the dark arts.

“Only two of us go up to the ref, if we all run over to the ref and say it’s a foul then we probably get it.

“It’s a ball that falls the wrong way and it’s a great finish, they’ve taken a scrappy chance and we haven’t and we’ve fallen on the wrong side of a 1-0.

“The manager’s not said anything about that, it’s come from me. That’s something this season we’ve not done well enough, the dark side of the game we can get better at.

“The top teams, everyone moans that they get decisions but if you watch them every single one of them appeals and we’ve not done that today.

“I’m not saying it changes anything but all likelihood it could have done. That’s come from me and not the boss, it’s something we can do.”

Similar to the reverse fixture at Portman Road, there was not an awful lot between the two sides but it was a familiar story for Town who once again found themselves on the wrong side of the key moments in the game.

Julio Enciso went close on the counter-attack and the Blues had a chance cleared off the line by Sarr, but perhaps the biggest opportunity they spurned was Ben Johnson’s header which came just two minutes before the winning goal.

“Disappointing, annoying,” Woolfenden reflected. “Again it’s another game that we’re bang in and we fall short again. It’s not good enough and disappointing.

“We had good chances and good moments where we’ve turned over possession high up the pitch and unfortunately we’ve not taken the final ball or final chance.

“They’ve taken their chance, Palms [Alex Palmer] has made two great saves but ultimately the winner is a scrappy tackle that’s fallen their way and a lovely composed finish.

“Everyone will probably agree with us that there’s not a massive load that we need to change, we’re in every single game until big moments.

“It’s just about getting the know-how to come out on the right side of them, by hook or by crook you’ve got to find a way to do that. That’s been the main point I’ve taken from this season is that big moments too many times we’ve fallen on the wrong side of it.

“I don’t like to talk about luck but sometimes there’s been an element of that not going our way a few times. The tackle today can fly anywhere but it’s fallen to Sarr’s feet and there’s an element of luck about that.

“We’ve just got to keep plugging away and hope that the luck swings round come the final stages of the season.”

Asked how they can go about improving their ruthlessness in front of goal, he said: “It’s a million dollar question, if I knew that I’d tell you.

“It’s a mixture of everything – we defend for long periods of the game and you’ve just got to have that clinical edge and composure to take those big chances. To be fair we’ve done that this season, we’ve scored good goals, it’s just a matter of getting back to that.”

Town remain five points plus a significantly inferior goal difference from safety with just 10 matches remaining ahead of Wolverhampton Wanderers’s clash with Everton on Saturday evening.

On the prospect of relegation, Woolfenden said: “That’s never been a conversation. It’s just about belief, you’ve got to keep believing and keep plugging away and see what happens.

“Over the last two seasons we’ve never sat there and focused on anything or spoken about anything, whether that be promotion, relegation or massive games.

“We just take it one step at a time, a training session per day and I think that’s why so many of us have improved over the last three years. Taking it game-by-game, applying yourself the best way you can and taking it from there.”

The Blues have suffered with a plethora of injuries in recent weeks with Sammie Szmodics and Axel Tuanzebe joining Conor Chaplin, Wes Burns and Chiedozie Ogbene in the treatment room.

“You can’t fault the boys for that,” Woolfenden said. “There’s boys out there that are carrying issues and are playing through pain to help the boys.

“It’s been a tough few weeks with injuries to key players, everyone’s determined to get out there for the boys and keep trying and see what happens.

“It’s been tough the last few weeks but we’re taking positives that we’re in every game. At some point that becomes a negative in my eyes, you can be in every game but so many times the big moment can’t keep going the wrong way against you, you’ve got to step up to that.

“As a group we are doing that and it’s been difficult and disappointing but as a group we’re staying strong mentality. We’re going to go right to the last day and see where it takes us.”

Town have climbed from League One to the Premier League in successive seasons and there is a feeling among some that some perspective is necessary, although Woolfenden is more focused on the here and now.

He also praised the Blue Army who were in fine voice once again in south London, despite falling to a seventh defeat in eight Premier League matches.

The 26-year-old said: “We’ve come a long way but I don’t think anyone in the dressing room is feeling that. We’ve brought in a lot of new faces, I don’t think anyone’s feeling that it’s okay as we’ve come a long way over the last few years.

“We’ve earned to be at this level and we’ve shown in the games that we deserve to be at this level, it’s just that we’re falling on the wrong side of the margins.

“I wouldn’t say we’re too dejected in there, we’re positive that with hard work we can try and turn things around. We might fall short or we might not, we’ve just going to keep plugging away and see what happens.

“The fans have been top all season, there’s been moments where it’s been difficult. They do recognise the journey that we’ve been on and they recognise it was always going to be a tough season.

“But I think they can be proud of the team that goes out there every week regardless of what the result is, there’s always 16 boys out there that give 110 per cent for the badge and for everything this club represents. That goes a long way in why the support is so good this season.”

Photo: Matchday Images

IP9 added 19:37 - Mar 8 So happy for Wolfy who's proved he's up to PL standard. Another good game from him today. We're simply a better team when he plays. For all those saying he should leave when we were in January transfer window, hang your head in shame.
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MickMillsTash added 20:10 - Mar 8 solid in a 5 of Monday and in a 4 today, Wolfy has been good all season We couldn't have had much more luck today though than facing a team without their best player.
8

Blue_Heath added 20:44 - Mar 8 Spot on, this is definitely 'a thing' in this league and we don't do it.
6

del45 added 21:04 - Mar 8 Same old story different face you need goals to win games.
3

victorysquad added 21:09 - Mar 8 Well said
1

blueboy1981 added 21:12 - Mar 8 Well said Woolfy - you are 100% RIGHT ! This is the Prem’ level of the game and does not entail the same mythology as the Championship even, least of all a lower level. We have an element within the team that appear too easy going, and in being so create an impression of everything being acceptable - to US ! McKenna (nice guy as he is)comes across likewise, has his Blood Pressure ever risen during a game ? - I doubt it - and such rubs off on players. The Dark Arts are necessary at this level, we rarely argue, dispute, or contest a decision - other teams that are succesful do everything we don’t in this respect. Niceties don’t work at this high level - we should know that by now, all be it too late. Letd hope, including the Manager - we learn !! Some Teams dispute everything - we accept everything as is - hence a tough Championship ahead next season, unfortunately !

2

scooby added 23:01 - Mar 8 I wonder how delap on the right with Hurst up top would work
1

FrankMarshall added 23:31 - Mar 8 Well said. We do badly need to learn that side of the game.
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armchaircritic59 added 23:57 - Mar 8 Can't disagree with anything LW said. Should be a regular starter in my opinion and would make a good captain too. 9/10 makes the defence sounder, and lends an air of calmness. Yes he can sometimes appear to be particularly laid back, but I'd much rather see that than a " panic merchant ".
4

Bluewhiteboy added 08:01 - Mar 9 Come on we're better than this, constant excuse! We're not Liverpool we aren't always the victims. Ref gave us some big calls we could have been down to 10 men early on. Also we concede so many goals as some players struggle to keep up with play. Now we are going to waste energy running after the ref! All that will happen is we will pick up a few more cards and be even more worn out. Be better not bitter!

2

SickParrot added 09:20 - Mar 9 Well said Bluewhiteboy. We're not staring relegation in the face because we don't employ the dark arts. It's because we don't score many goals and rarely keep a clean sheet. Regarding the dark arts, I don't want to see a crowd of Town players berating the referee but we are not as naive as Woolfy suggests. For instance, the slightest contact will see Delap dive in the box and at Old Trafford an accidental flick of the hand to the neck resulted in O'Shea laying on the floor feigning a facial injury, which was just embarrasing.

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FreddySteady added 09:30 - Mar 9 Agree SickParrot. It’s embarrassing. I would hate to see us cheat.
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Bluewhiteboy added 10:42 - Mar 9 Makes me laugh as half the ones saying we should be cheating are the same ones that say sir alf or Bobby would be turning in their graves when something happens they disagree with. Both those fine men would have had higher expectations than trying to survive by cheap free kicks here and there! It's not what I want to see or my children to see. No wonder country is in this mess

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PhuketPete added 11:45 - Mar 9 I hope the team are more positive than a lot of posters here
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Bert added 09:49 - Mar 10 It is true that we tend to play by the unwritten rules of sportsmanship but surrounding the ref with a mob will result in yellow cards. I like the spirit of Wolfenden and he deserves a starting place in the team.
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dirtydingusmagee added 06:52 - Mar 11 If only the rest of team had improved as much as Luke.He has come on a lot this seaso. All credit to him .
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