Sunday 30 November 2014 09:26, UK
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew believed that West Ham profited from a "lucky break" in his side’s 1-0 defeat at Upton Park.
Aaron Cresswell’s second-half strike ended a run of six straight wins for the Magpies, who had Moussa Sissoko sent off in the latter stages.
But Pardew pointed to a slice of fortune in the build-up to the goal as Cheikhou Kouyate’s miskick fell perfectly for Cresswell in the box.
“Well I’m frustrated in so much that the game was so tight,” he told Sky Sports.
“It wasn’t really much to call between the two sides. One break for them, a lucky break, and they’ve scored the goal and suddenly we’re under pressure to try and get ourselves in a winning position.
“We pushed and pushed, even with 10 men, but it wouldn’t come.”
Pardew admitted that Sissoko lost his composure, picking up two needless quick cautions, but refused to heap criticism on the French midfielder.
“Yeah, I think Moussa’s had a minute there where he has lost his head a little bit,” said the Magpies manager.
“He’s kicked the ball away. I think he was frustrated that the referee gave a foul and then straight up the other end he’s ended up in an incident with Andy (Carroll), which actually didn’t do him any justice either.
“He’s an honest boy and really and truly that’s not him, but he’ll learn from that."
Reflecting on the end of his side’s recent run, Pardew said: “I can’t fault the players. They have been absolutely brilliant and again the attitude today was first-class, but it just didn’t fall for us.
“We didn’t get the bit of quality that we normally produce and therefore we have ended up with a defeat.”
