Roy Hodgson has claimed that Crystal Palace were "unlucky" in their 2-1 loss at Watford on Sunday and expressed his unhappiness with Etienne Capoue's rash foul on Wilfried Zaha.
The Hornets defender was lucky not to be sent off by referee Anthony Taylor following his stamp on the Achilles of the Ivory Coast international just four minutes into the game.
Neither side could find the breakthrough in the first half, but Roberto Pereyra opened the scoring for the hosts on 53 minutes before Jose Holebas doubled their tally midway through the second period.
Although Palace pulled a goal back through Zaha and ended the game strongly, Watford withstood the visitors' fightback to claim all three points.
"There's no particular anger as such," Hodgson told BBC Sport. "We didn't start the second half well and went a goal down. We were unlucky in that their second goal drifted over the keeper's head helped by the wind. At 2-0 we were facing a mountain.
"If the game had gone on another five or 10 minutes we could have got another goal and a draw would not have been an unfair result. It is very frustrating when you are 2-1 down and you are in the ascendancy but you can't get hold of the ball.
"We're not happy about the foul [on Zaha]. I've only just seen it again on television. I'd have to say we were unlucky he was not sent off."
Palace travel to Swansea City on Tuesday night for their EFL Cup second-round fixture before returning to Premier League action by hosting Southampton on Saturday.
Giuseppe Labellarte
