Pardew Praises His "Honest" Team & Halsey Apologised At HT

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has praised his side for putting in an “honest” performance against Wigan, confirmed that referee Mark Halsey apologised for not seeing the potentially leg breaking tackle by Callum McManaman and that he was in the changing room when Carver got sent off. He refused to be drawn into talking about the incident, instead focusing on the game. 

During the post match interview he said;

“Er, yeh, I am disappointed for our team and for Wigan and in a way it was disappointing in how it was conducted, the tackle was awful and we have lost the game in the last minute to what I think was a hand ball and also I got a boy going to hospital."

Asked how Haidara was he added;

“Well it’s not going to be good because the tackle was so bad and that’s the truth of it."

He was then asked what the referee had said about the situation at half time. Pardew responded;

“Erm he apologised to say he had missed it.” When asked if he had received an explained he added that he hadn’t.

On the incident which saw John Carver sent off Pardew added;

“Well I don’t know as I was in the changing room and the time so I don’t really know what went on there but what I do know is what on the pitch and erm, two teams who were really committed there and er, in all honesty it’s difficult to take and difficult to talk about at this stage.

All I would say is my team has put in an honest performance and are very, very unlucky to come away with nothing."