HOWARD Webb's decision not to send Dejan Lovren off was not the reason Crystal Palace lost on Saturday, says centre-back Damien Delaney.
After beating two Saints players, Yannick Bolasie went one better past Lovren but the defender chopped him down just outside the box.
Palace fans screamed for a red card as it looked like Lovren was the last man but only a yellow was brandished – probably due to two Southampton defenders coming in from the left and right.
And Delaney refused to blame Webb, who he described him as a "good referee".
"It's a difficult one for Howard because the angle he's looking at it, I think Nathaniel Clyne was the defender coming round the side anyway," said the Irishman.
"I don't know in regards to Clyney's depth to where he was, it was a quick breakaway and it was a difficult one for Howard.
"He's a good referee and he explains his decisions. If he got that one wrong, so be it. That wasn't the decision which cost us the game.
"It was just a team not scoring and as a group not keeping a clean sheet."
