Ranieri: What I thought about the penalty decision that saved Tottenham

CLAUDIO RANIERI says he didn't see Tottenham's penalty appeal that cost Leicester a win in the FA Cup this afternoon - but he isn't bitter about it.

 

Crouch says Dyer's (left) handball in the box should not have been a penalty

 

Spurs earned a late reprieve when Nathan Dyer handled in the box just two minutes from time.

Christian Eriksen had opened the scoring for Tottenham before Marcin Wasilewski and Shinji Okazaki turned the tie on its head.

But Harry Kane secured the 2-2 result when Danny Rose flicked the ball up and Dyer nudged it away with his hand in the box.

 

"I didn't see the penalty, there were two players in front of me, but the more important thing is that the referee gave the penalty so it is a penalty," Leicester boss Ranieri told BBC Sport.

"I'm very pleased with our performance. We had eight players who had not been playing for some time, but now they played and they deserved a positive result - 2-2 is a positive result."

 

Ranieri may not have seen the incident but Peter Crouch, acting as a pundit for the BBC, said Dyer was wrongfully pulled up by the referee.

"It's not a penalty," Stoke and former Spurs striker Crouch said.

"Nathan Dyer turns into the ball and I think the referee has given it because there was a bit of distance the ball travelled.

"But Dyer has stuck his hand out to block the run of Danny Rose and it's just hit the ball."