Sam Allardyce hits out over penalty decisions

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has insisted that his side should have been awarded a penalty during their 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup.

The Hammers boss believes that United's Rafael should have been penalised for a handball during the third-round replay, insinuating that referee Phil Dowd was biased towards the hosts.

"We should have had a penalty. The difference is that Jordan Spence plays for West Ham and Rafael plays for Manchester United at Old Trafford," BBC Sport quotes Allardyce as saying.

"The incidents are the same. If you give one you've got to give both, simple as that."

Dowd awarded United a contentious second-half penalty, which Wayne Rooney failed to convert, but the England international scored the only goal of the game in the ninth minute.