Referee got Stoke reds right, says Pardew

Stoke suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat at St James' Park, having gone ahead only to then be hampered by red cards for Glenn Whelan and Marc Wilson in the space of three first-half minutes.

While visiting boss Mark Hughes expressed dismay at the performance of referee Martin Atkinson, Pardew felt the official had been left with little choice when it came to Whelan's second yellow – for a foul on Yohan Cabaye – and the sending off of Wilson for denying Loic Remy a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1