Snodgrass: I dived to avoid bad injury
Winger’s excuse for cheating to win penalty
ROBERT Snodgrass has hit back at accusations of diving and insists it was the fear of another serious injury which caused him to fall in the penalty box against Crystal Palace.
The Hull winger threw himself to the turf despite defender Scott Dann pulling out of the challenge and Mike Jones awarded a penalty.
Snodgrass — who scored from the spot-kick — was criticised for conning the referee and apologised after the match, admitting it was not a penalty.
The 29-year-old, however, has defended the split-second decision to hurdle what he thought was an incoming tackle.
Snodgrass spent 16 months out after dislocating a kneecap and damaging ligaments on his Premier League debut for Hull against QPR in 2014. And the Scotland international says that injury is forever in his mind.
‘I tried to get out of the way,’ he said. ‘I thought he (Dann) was going to slide in. So especially when you’ve had an injury like I’ve had, I’m not going to go in and try to get in the way.
‘I’ve just tried to ride his tackle but he never slid and that’s why it looks bad.’ Snodgrass and Dann exchanged words after the penalty award, but the Hull man says he did not feel the need to ask the referee to reverse the decision.
‘I pride myself on being an honest player,’ he said. ‘I’ve never been one for going into that position (cheating), so that’s what I tried to say to the lad (Dann).
‘I’m not that type of player and I said that to him. But obviously emotions are running high. He’s thinking: “I’ve not touched you”, and I’m thinking: “I’m trying to get out the way”. So it’s up to the referee to make that sort of decision at that moment.’
Snodgrass, who had earlier been booked for a foul, added: ‘I’m not trying to dive because I’m on a booking and you can get sent off if you’re trying to con the referee. But I’ve never been that type of player.’
Snodgrass’s opener was cancelled out by a Christian Benteke penalty — conceded by Snodgrass — before Wilfried Zaha fired Palace in front. Adama Diomande and Jake Livermore made it 3-2 to Hull approaching the last minute, but substitute Fraizer Campbell headed in from Zaha’s cross to rescue a point. And Crystal Palace boss Pardew feels England manager Gareth Southgate should move quickly to persuade man-of- the-match Zaha that his future does not lie with his native Ivory Coast. ‘We haven’t got enough players in England to say that Wilf Zaha isn’t good enough to play for us,’ said Pardew.
‘How many English players, offensive players, would have done what he did on Saturday? He was outstanding.
‘In my view, they should keep him for England.’
HULL (3-5-2): Marshall; Maguire, Davies, Dawson; Elmohamady, Livermore, Huddlestone, Clucas (Henriksen 90), Robertson; Snodgrass, Diomande. Subs not used: Jakupovic, Meyler, Maloney, Weir, Mason, Bowen. Booked: Snodgrass, Elmohamady. CRYSTAL PALACE (4-2-3-1): Hennessey; Kelly (Campbell 80), Dann, Delaney, Ward; Ledley, Puncheon; Zaha, McArthur (Cabaye 71), Townsend (Fryers 46); C Benteke 6. Subs not used: Speroni, Flamini, Lee, Phillips. Booked: Dann, McArthur, Puncheon, Cabaye. Referee: Mike Jones. Attendance: 17,403. Man of the match: Wilfried Zaha.