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Nigel Adkins admits penalty decision fortunate

Adkins admits penalty decision fortunate
© PA Photos
Saints manager Nigel Adkins admits that side got the benefit of the doubt with a contentious decision this afternoon against Aston Villa, after a penalty shout went their way to create the winning goal.

Southampton manager Nigel Adkins has admitted that his side got lucky with a penalty decision which led to the winning goal against Aston Villa this afternoon.

Skipper Rickie Lambert netted from the spot after a penalty was awarded by referee Mark Halsey when Jay Rodriguez went down after a challenge from Enda Stevens.

Replays showed that Stevens did not make contact with Rodriquez and Adkins has insisted that he does not advocate diving from any of his players.

He told BBC Sport: "We could have had seven or eight penalties this season, and they say it levels out.

"For me there is no contact with the player but the referee has a decision to make. All we can do at our place is make sure the players are not diving.

"We expect the players to behave properly, it is not a dive from Jay Rodriguez, there was no contact, but if the player had not moved his leg away, there would have been contact."

An important 1-0 win at Villa Park has moved Saints up to 15th place in table, two points clear of the relegation zone.

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Saints forward Rickie Lambert celebrates the win over Aston Villa with goalkeeper Artur Boruc on January 12, 2013
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CLeicester CityLeicester463141189414897
3Leeds UnitedLeeds462791081433890
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom4621121370472375
6Norwich CityNorwich4621101579641573
7Hull City461913146860870
8Middlesbrough46209177162969
9Coventry CityCoventry4617131670591164
10Preston North EndPreston46189195667-1163
11Bristol City461711185351262
12Cardiff CityCardiff46195225370-1762
13Millwall461611194555-1059
14Swansea CitySwansea461512195965-657
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16Sunderland46168225254-256
17Stoke CityStoke461511204960-1156
18Queens Park RangersQPR461511204758-1156
19Blackburn RoversBlackburn461411216074-1453
20Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds46158234468-2453
21Plymouth ArgylePlymouth461312215970-1151
RBirmingham CityBirmingham461311225065-1550
RHuddersfield TownHuddersfield46918194877-2945
RRotherham UnitedRotherham46512293789-5227


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