Zola unhappy with Noble red card

(GSM)- Mark Noble headed for an early bath in the 79th minute after a second yellow card but the midfielder can feel hard done to by referee Lee Mason’s decision with replays showing his challenge on Christian Benitez was clean.

The Hammers were already losing by a goal when Noble was given his marching orders. And although Gianfranco Zola’s team piled the pressure in the rest of the game, The Hammers could not save themselves from defeat.

And when asked whether The Hammers deserved something out of the clash, the West Ham manager told Sky Sports, “I think so yeah. It was a game where a draw would have been a fair result.

“I think the game was very much level and I don’t think they deserved to win but that’s football.

“I’m disappointed for my players because they gave everything and they probably deserved something.”

About the official’s decision to send off Noble, Zola added, “What can I say… I think the referee had an off day today.

“(The sending off was) totally unacceptable, he got the ball and there wasn’t any nasty thing in that – he just got the ball and I cannot understand it.”