Pardew sympathises with his former side

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew admitted his side were lucky to gain a point at the Madejski Stadium, saying his former side deserved to win the game.

The 51-year old, who earned Reading promotion in 2002 during his four-year tenure, witnessed his side twice come from behind to earn an relatively undeserved point at the Madejski Stadium. Demba Ba’s second goal also caused controversy from a Royals persuasion, with it appearing that the forward handled it into the net past Alex McCarthy.

Answering questions at his press conference, which can be found here, Pardew commented: ‘I think if I’m honest it`s a shame for Reading, because they do need a win and their performance should be getting the headlines. I can tell you as the opposition today, we won’t be playing too many teams who worked as hard as they did today.’

‘They really did put everything in and I feel for Brian on a personal level that he hasn’t got the win that perhaps he deserved today. But our goalie and a bit of quality and a bit of spirit has got us a point again. We’ve been solid all season, but we’re lacking that artistry and rhythm. They deserved to win. I’ve got no problem with that.’

Wiki page: Alan Pardew