We have to show our quality in the middle and final third

Last updated : 24 August 2008 By Tony Scholes
When Shaun Derry received his marching orders I looked across at Palace boss Neil Warnock and just wondered what he would have to say after the game, surely he would be over critical of the referee and blame him for everything, probably even including the weather.

That wasn't the case at all, and he was perhaps fair in his judgement, as he emphasised his delight at his own team's performance. "I am proud of them today," he said. "With nine men and to restrict Burnley like that and the effort they gave me.

"I think that is just what we needed to kick start the season. The fans got behind us and it was fantastic really. I know we haven't got a goal but I will sort that.

"There are a lot of plusses after the game. I couldn't ask more of anybody. I think they epitomised everything about the club. We tried our hardest, we have limited funds compared to what other clubs have got but we will always give it a go"

Speaking about the two red cards, Warnock added: "I was disappointed with the Scowcroft decision, not the first booking, but Derry was a cert, two yellow cards and you can't complain about that.

"I thought he got it wrong with the Scowcroft incident. I felt that both of them were doing that. When you look at it on the videos I couldn't see one without the other."

On Derry he said: "Oh yeah, of course he has apologised. He is captain and he has let us all down," and then joked: "I told him that if he didn't want to go to Leeds [for their Carling Cup tie] he didn't have to do that. I think I might take him with us just for punishment."

Whilst Warnock wasn't critical of referee Williamson, Clarets boss Owen Coyle believed he had got the decision wrong to disallow Chris McCann's goal. He said after the game: "I have to say I thought it was a perfectly good goal we had chalked off and I just felt, given the territorial advantage, that we could have picked a better final pass. The application and effort was there and I just feel we never really showed that real quality in the final third.

"If anyone had offered us a point beforehand we would have taken it. But given the circumstances of the day we are disappointed not to get three points.

"in the first half it was a bit nervous, especially having lost the first two games. In the second half I thought we started to take charge, culminating in wave after wave of attack after the red cards. But given that we had shipped a few goals, we worked on it all week and maybe that was to the detriment of the attacking flair.

"What we have to do now is go and build on that and show our quality in the middle and final third. There are positives to take from it and we have an important cup game on Tuesday, followed by another home game next weekend to get it right."