Sam Allardyce blasts ref Walton

Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce has slammed referee Peter Walton for denying his side a penalty in their 6-2 drubbing by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

With the Gunners 3-2 ahead, Allardyce was convinced that David Dunn had been felled in the area by Thomas Vermaelen, but Walton waived play on and Arsenal went on to record a convincing victory.

Afterwards, an angry Allardyce said:"I don't want to detract from Arsenal but it was a blatant penalty.

"There is no doubt in my mind that the position of the referee was excellent. He just didn't, unfortunately, give the decision in our favour.

"In the big pressure pot that is this league, you have got to get the major decisions right otherwise you don't stay in this league too long, not as a manager or a player, so as a referee you have got to be judged the same.

"They are fully professional now so if they are not good enough, we should find someone who is.

"That decision wasn't good enough for me and it had a major effect on the course of this game.

"At that particular stage you would see us getting a penalty, probably scoring it, them going down to ten men – because it is a red card for stopping a goal-scoring opportunity – and the balance swings in our favour."

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