Pulis Bemoans Decisions

Stoke boss Tony Pulis bemoaned decisions which went against his side after the Potters lost to Liverpool in the Carling Cup.

Jamie Carragher was booked after a challenge on Matthew Etherington on 21 minutes before Jon Walters had the ball in the net with a header from a Rory Delap throw-in but Ryan Shawcross was adjudged to have impeded Jose Reina and the goal did not count.

Stoke then took the lead via a Kenwyne Jones header but Luis Suarez notched a brace to win it for the Reds, although Peter Crouch had a penalty shout turned down late on.

Pulis had no quibble with the result at the end, telling Sky Sports: "I thought Liverpool were better, more so first half than second half.

"I thought we were much more even contest second half but they played really well first half Liverpool and fair play to them.

"We were pretty fortunate to be coming in one-nil up but like I say second half it was much more even-steven.

"I didn't think there was a lot of chances second half and he's made one himself - great, great goal, great finish and the second goal is a good finish as well."

But the Stoke boss thought the club had the rough end of the decisions from referee Lee Probert.

He said: "Carragher's a smashing lad and a great pro and I've got a lot of respect for him but the challenge is a bad challenge.

"If he gets what we think a Stoke City player might get, then he's off and that's 20 minutes.

"The other two incidents, the goal that we score from a long throw, we don't think is a free-kick and especially when you compare it to what the lad's done on Crouch in the second half. And the referee has good views on all three decisions.

"We just want even-stevens, we don't want nothing more than Liverpool but we don't want nothing less as well and we think we got the rough end of it from a referee that has disallowed a great goal that we scored at Aston Villa a couple of years ago and also a great goal from Tuncay last year at Everton that he disallowed.

"We're really disappointed in respect if he's going to give the incident down one end and disallow that goal, then he's going to give a penalty for the lad (Crouch) because he can see it.

"You can't have rules in one box and not the same rules in the other box."

He added: "The disappointing thing is, like I say, for me Liverpool first half fair play to them and to Kenny were a better team than us, they played much better than us, created good chances and Thomas made some very, very good saves.

"Second half was more even-stevens, the disappointing thing is we're sat here talking about three incidents again that are very, very contentious that have gone against us and gone for Liverpool."