Merson Upset With Penalty Decision

The Saddlers looked odds-on to return to The Midlands with a well deserved point until the Merseyside official pointed to the spot after Palace substitute Tommy Black was upended by Paul Ritchie.

Andy Johnson converted the spot kick at the second attempt to leave the Saddlers staring relegation in the face. 

"Our system was working until a bad decision by the referee. In the context of the game it has to be a certain penalty or you don't give it," Merson said after the 1-0 defeat.

"He said it was obstruction. There's a new rule. Obstruction now with the ball means it's a penalty. He was running up a dark alley and he just fell over.

"But we'll live another day. I'm proud of my players because everything we asked of them they did. I couldn't see them breaking us down and they could be playing in the Premiership next season."

Crystal Palace 1 Walsall 0 Johnson 88
Starting line-up Sub'd Vaesen Granville Popovic Butterfield 1 (83) Leigertwood Derry 2 (65) Gray Riihilahti 3 (79) Routledge Johnson Shipperley Substitutes Sub'd Freedman 2 (65) Watson 3 (79) Black 1 (83) Borrowdale Berthelin	Competition Nationwide League Division One Saturday 1st May 2004 Match Statistics 15 Goal Attempts 5 9 On target 2 6 Off target 3 0 Woodwork 0 12 Corners 4 2 Fouls 19 2 Offside 2 Cards shown Ritchie (13) unsporting behaviour Osborn (58) unsporting behaviour Wright (75) unsporting behaviour Andrews (86) dissent Roper (90) unsporting behaviour Referee Pugh, D Merseyside Attendance 21518	Starting line-up Sub'd Walker Ritchie Bazeley 1 (90) Aranalde Roper Osborn Emblen Wright Andrews Wrack 2 (73) Bradbury 3 (72) Substitutes Sub'd Leitao 3 (72) Taylor 2 (73) Fryatt 1 (90) Kerr Merson