ROY’S STINGING REBUKE OVER ZAHA DIVING ROW

ROY HODGSON hopes no one at Watford will provoke the crowd to reignite the diving storm over Wilfried Zaha.

Watford mascot Harry the Hornet threw himself on the pitch in a move that hyped diving claims around Palace forward Zaha in the 1-1 draw at Vicarage road on Boxing Day 2016. Zaha later insisted there was an agenda against him after being booked for diving in a goalless draw at Watford in April this year.

Hodgson, whose side travel to Vicarage road tomorrow, said: ‘If you’re asking me whether Harry the Hornet should dive in that way, I think it’s disgraceful.

‘And certainly if it’s provoking the crowd into looking for something that’s not there, it should be stopped.

‘Wilf Zaha does not dive for penalties, he gets knocked over sometimes. Sometimes he gets knocked over or unbalanced without it being a penalty or a foul, because he runs at such speed and has such agility with the ball. But he certainly doesn’t dive.’