Pardew: Wolves deserved a point

Alan Pardew admitted that Wolverhampton Wanderers deserved at least a point from their Premier League clash with Newcastle United.

The Magpies held on to secure a 2-1 win on Saturday after a strong first half, but Wolves felt aggrieved following two controversial refereeing decisions that fell in Newcastle’s favour.

First Steven Taylor appeared to foul Jamie O’Hara in the box only for referee Mark Halsey to award a free-kick, before Kevin Doyle had a late goal disallowed, with Pardew conceding that his side may have been fortunate to escape Molineux with three points.

“I don’t think deserved is the word I’d use today, but I did think we played well in the first half and it gave us a platform to win the game,” he told reporters.

“Certainly, we lost control of the second half at times and our eagerness was causing mistakes. It was a hot day, I thought that was a factor, but I thought Wolves were very good today.”

“The game could have been different. Just about half way through that second half we had two good chances to get a third goal and then there’s no grandstand finish.”

“But fair play to Wolves, they kept coming, the changes that Mick (McCarthy) made were good and that affected the game a bit and in the end we were a bit fortunate with that decision (the disallowed goal).

“I’ve watched the two performances here that they’ve got beat, but they were a lot better today and Mick can take great heart from that.”

“If you’re going to use the word deserved, they deserved something from this match.”

With a two-goal lead at half-time Pardew felt his side took their foot off the pedal somewhat in the second half, and thought Wolves’ penalty appeal, which he saw as a good one, might have helped his side’s focus at the break had it been given.

“To be honest I’ve seen the fans’ reaction to that and I honestly thought it was a penalty so I’d already accepted that one,” he said.

“I think that wouldn’t have been the worst thing that could have happened to us because at half time when you’re 2-0 up the psychology of the dressing room is different.”

“I think we felt like we were comfortable and you’re never comfortable here as it’s been proven. I don’t think Newcastle have won here since 1990 so it’s never an easy place to win.”

Pardew praised his goalkeeper Tim Krul, adding that the loss of experienced heads such as Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton had made closing games out more difficult.

“He’s (Krul) had more work to do today than he has done in the last three of our games if I’m honest and that’s why you need a good goalie.”

“We have a lot of attributes to the team and we had to show different sides of us today.”

“You don’t concede four goals all season without having people putting blocks in, covering each other, trying to help each other.”

“It’s what we had to do at the end there, all hands to the pump and we got really nervous towards the end.”

“We’re a young team, we haven’t got that experience of a Kevin Nolan or a Joey Barton out there that might have stopped the game or affected the game or slowed it down.”

“We’re a different type of team and we need to see games out better than that.”

The win sees Newcastle move up to third place in the Premier League table and Pardew said he was looking forward to testing his team against the top sides in the division.

“We’re a decent team and we’ll get a gauge of how good a team we are in two weeks time (against Tottenham Hotspur).”

“That in the Premier League is what you should focus on and we will, we won’t get carried away.”