By Mark Ritson (Twitter @MR_LWMedia)
CRYSTAL Palace skipper Mile Jedinak insists the better team lost on Monday night at Selhurst Park.
The Eagles fell to a 3-1 defeat against Sunderland but did have bright spells during the contest, yet they could not convert any opportunities or indeed test Costel Pantilimon in the Sunderland goal as much as they'd wanted.
Jedinak was happy with Palace's play despite the final result and was disappointed not to take at least a point.
"I thought we gave them two soft goals but apart from that I thought we were good," he said.
"There only looked like one team winning it, but two sucker punch goals caught us and we weren't able to recover after the second.
"There are positives to take. I thought our tempo was brilliant, we pinned them in and a lot of the football was played in their half.
"From the outset it was what we were after – they looked like a team who were down a little bit.
"It's just disappointing to not come away with anything, especially at home and in front of our fans."
Jedinak was sent off late on for a second bookable offence and now he misses the trip to face Manchester United on Saturday.
However, the 30-year-old has faith in whoever comes in for him and also the squad coping at Old Trafford.
"There is no point crying about the result, we have another game in five days' time and everyone has got to be ready and prepared," he said.
"It's an opportunity now for someone to step in (for me) and whoever is fit needs to be ready.
"I think the boys will give themselves a good account of themselves at Old Trafford on Saturday, I have no doubt about that."
Palace looked like they should have been given a stonewall penalty inside 25 seconds, after Fraizer Campbell seemed to have been brought down by Santiago Vergini.
And in the second half, Wilfried Zaha looked to have been felled inches inside the right side of the box.
But referee Phil Dowd refused to give a spot-kick on both occasions – and Jedinak was left to rue the decisions.
"I thought they were both pretty clear, so there's not a lot I'm going to comment on," he said.
"He (the referee) made those decisions and unfortunately we have to get the brunt of them.
"It was unfortunate for both times."
