Claude Puel admitted his team were not good enough to get anything from their game against Crystal Palace but blamed the pitch for Fraser Forster’s error which led to the first goal.

Forster missed his attempted clearance from Jose Fonte’s square back pass, allowing Christian Benteke the chance to turn the ball into the empty net from close range.

The ball appeared to hit Forster standing foot, but Puel felt the pitch was to blame, as well as contributing to Saints’ second half struggles to get back into the match.

He said: “It was the bad pitch gives opportunities to the opponent.

“This arrive to take a goal like this is not an excuse for us for the other part of the game. It was not sufficient to win this game without playing in the first half.

“After to play the second half on a bad pitch against a team with two goals up is always difficult because they stay behind with a strong back and lines closed and it’s always difficult to find solutions and to play good football and to have all the chances.

“It’s not an excuse, it’s our fault because we make our first half and it’s not possible for us.”

He added: “I think it’s a disappointment of course.

“We didn’t play a good first half and we wanted a good start with good pressing and especially without a good play on the goal.

“I think it was important against this team to present long balls and to put the ball on the ground and to play.

“It was not this in the first half and we conceded goals and without chances against us on the play.

“It is difficult to consider this because I think Crystal Palace had mistakes from us.

“From the first goal it happens. For me it’s the bad pitch and it was difficult to play on the second half for example against a team with two goals up and it was difficult to find a good solution and to put a good play on this pitch.

“We tried and had chances without luck to score and to come back on this game.

“It’s hard to take three goals without conceding any chances on the play.

“It was true and it was not sufficient for us on the play and we tried to come back with good intention in the second half but it was not sufficient in the first.”