Saturday 27 September 2014 19:00, UK
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce claimed his side were denied a deserved equaliser after going down 2-1 to 10-man Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Kevin Nolan thought he had equalised for the visitors in the 89th minute of an absorbing contest when he converted fellow substitute Carl Jenkinson’s cross, only to be denied by the offside flag.
Allardyce was left frustrated by the decision, claiming that the midfielder was ‘blatantly onside’ as United were left clinging on following Wayne Rooney’s red card for kicking out at Stewart Downing.
Rooney had earlier given United an early lead, which was doubled by Robin van Persie before Diafra Sakho pulled one back before the interval.
Allardyce told Sky Sports: “Somebody told me his nose or his head might be offside, but I don’t think you can base a decision on the fact that it’s a nose or a head offside.
“There’s no way if that’s the case that the assistant referee can see it.
“For me it’s blatantly onside and it should have stood as a goal. Nobody else can convince me any other way.
“The linesman shouldn’t have seen it that way, but we’re all under pressure when we play at Old Trafford and he was under enough pressure to make the wrong decision.
“It cost us a very valuable point today after a fantastic comeback against Man Utd.”
