Sam Allardyce: 'Yaya Toure should have been sent off'

Sam Allardyce has claimed that Yaya Toure should have been sent off during Crystal Palace's FA Cup fourth-round 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, although he also bemoaned his side's defensive display.

Referee Mike Jones opted not to dismiss the Ivory Coast international for fouling Jordon Mutch, just three minutes after he had been booked for a late challenge on Joe Ledley.

The game was goalless at that point, but City scored late in the first half and then twice after the break, including a free kick from Toure, to knock the Eagles out of the competition.

"They should have been down to 10 men as he had been booked for less a few minutes before that, so that was a sending-off," Allardyce told Sky Sports News. "For me, with the consistency that the referee had shown during the game, that was a certain yellow card.

"I have more to worry about, such as the goals we conceded, than referees at the moment. Our game is OK in parts and we look quite comfortable, but then we make errors and the first two goals today proved that opposition of Manchester City's quality will punish you.

"For me it's still about working to minimise those errors and that if we do make one, then we don't allow the opposition to score, but that was the problem again today."

Palace have conceded in all six games against top-flight opposition since Allardyce took charge last month.