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Hodgson fumes at Long challenge

Chris Herd was shown a straight red card by referee Phil Dowd © PA Photos

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West Brom came from behind to beat rivals Aston Villa in the West Midlands derby, but Baggies boss Roy Hodgson was furious with a challenge by Alan Hutton that saw Shane Long hobble off with an injury.

"I'm very pleased with the result and the performance but very disappointed about Shane Long's injury. It was a wicked challenge. If ever I've seen a challenge that merited a red card, it was Hutton on Long. It is a scan job but Long is lucky because he could have had two broken legs. We are a small squad and to lose players for long periods of time is going to affect us. We don't think it is a cruciate knee ligament injury, which is good, but there are a lot of other ligaments in knees which can keep you out for a long time. It is a relatively serious injury."

Alex McLeish, meanwhile, was upset at Chris Herd's sending off for an alleged stamp on Jonas Olsson. Herd now faces a three-match ban.

"The sending-off was the turning point, no question. The replay I've seen indicated Chris was extricating his foot from Olsson's grasp. We don't see a stamp. That's what it looks like. Until I see another picture that makes it look like he stamped on somebody, then it doesn't look like a sending-off. [First-team coach] Gordon Cowans was high in the stand and he said he saw Olsson punch Chris on the shoulder just beforehand and the officials never saw it.. The linesman said it looked like Chris stamped on him [Olsson], or he thought he stamped on him. He's got to be 100% right."

Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy was delighted to take a point from the 1-1 draw at Liverpool after his late save stopped the home side taking the win. Ruddy's reflex save from Luis Suarez's late volley ensured the Canaries left Anfield with a point after Grant Holt's header cancelled out Craig Bellamy's first-half strike.

"I'm just delighted with the point. I'm pleased to make it (the save from Suarez). The lads were tremendous, in the second half we were a different animal. It's like Grant scoring the goal. When you make a save like that the buzz is massive.''

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew was full of praise for Yohan Cabaye after the French midfielder claimed his first Magpies goal with an 80th-minute winner against Wigan.

Alan Pardew paid tribute to goalscorer Yohan Cabaye © PA Photos

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"Yohan is a really class player and he brings an elegance to us that everybody really appreciates. He's hit a real cracker to get up and running. He's a level-headed person and footballer. He's settled in and his quality shows every week. His goal will endear him to the fans even more."

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez was left to rue his side's bad luck and believed the Latics deserved to take at least a point away from St James' Park.

"In a way we did everything we had to do - we neutralised Newcastle and didn't allow them to be themselves and we created the best chances in the early period. If we could have scored that first goal it would have been a completely different game. We are really frustrated and we got punished by a piece of quality. I think in some ways even a draw would have been a difficult result to take but we are not getting any luck. In football you have to work very hard to get that luck."

Sunderland claimed their first away win of the season with a 2-0 victory at Bolton, and Steve Bruce was relieved and delighted in equal measure.

"We got them in at half-time and tried to take the shackles off a bit. Both sides were nervous and edgy. I'm sure there will have been a lot of clubs like that today - there were three points separating nine teams I think this morning. We played very well in the second half, which was pleasing. We thoroughly deserved it. I cannot remember going away from home in the Premier League and dominating like that."

Bolton are in the bottom three, but Owen Coyle blamed the fact that the Trotters had already played five of the big six teams this season.

"It's not bravery or being naive or anything else. The bottom line is wherever we sit just now is certainly not where I want to be as Bolton Wanderers manager, accepting it's been for a number of reasons. Because of that start, these games take on extra significance because of the stigma involved in being in the bottom three. You want to be out of there and moving up, and that's why today was a great opportunity to do it."

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy insisted he did not care about criticism from some sections of the Wolves support after seeing his side salvage a a point with two late goals against Swansea.

"They can react all they like, it was a great point today and I am delighted. I can't explain the comeback. We were really, really lucky. We have played better over the previous five games and got nothing. We have needed something to get us off seven points, something to end the run of defeats. We needed a bit of luck or a bit of magic and if this proves to be a turning point I will be delighted. I'm not bothered. We got a point. We needed something.''

Meanwhile, Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers admitted the result felt like a defeat:

"We were outstanding today. We dominated and controlled the game with and without ball, so to lose the lead in the last 10 minutes was obviously difficult, but it's our first away point and the performance was fantastic. We just needed to manage the game better, and our job is to make sure the two points we dropped today don't cost us at the end of the season."

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