Huddersfield Town manager Lee Clark on Southend defeat

Apr 6 2009 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

LEE CLARK insisted a goalless draw would have been a fair reflection of Saturday’s showdown between Town and Southend.

The Galpharm manager admitted his side didn’t do enough to merit what would have been a third successive win.

But he argued the penalty which provided Lee Barnard with the 63rd-minute chance to clinch his side’s 1-0 League I victory should never have been awarded.

Referee Colin Webster ruled right-back Tom Clarke had handled Franck Moussa’s cross, but boss Clark insisted: “I just don’t know where players are meant to put their hands.

“If they raise their arms then fair enough, but when they are by their sides, it’s a different matter. The only other place they could go is behind their backs. It’s perplexing!

“It was a very similar decision to that given against Blackburn in their game against Tottenham earlier in the day.

“In general terms I thought the referee handled things well, but this was a big decision and it changed the game, because before, it had 0-0 written all over it.

“I felt for Tom because I think he played well and he didn’t deserve to give away that penalty.”