Crystal Palace 1 Huddersfield Town 1: Grayson disputes Gerrard’s dismissal but says Town may not appeal after failure to secure reprieve for Southern

He will get backing from home manager Ian Holloway, who was fiercely critical of referee Graham Scott after his third-placed side were held to a frustrating draw at Selhurst Park.

Town’s Grayson said: “You’re happy to get a point when you come down to Crystal Palace, a team which are flying at this moment in time.

“But when you look back and reflect on the game, we had some good opportunities. Their goalkeeper made some fantastic saves and we had an opportunity to score from the penalty.

“Anthony Gerrard’s sending-off? Not from where I am and not from what I’ve seen on the TV. He didn’t jump in, he didn’t lead with two feet so I think he’s got that decision wrong.

“We’re disappointed with the decision and I would have thought we will appeal, but you never know.

“We had one of those at Charlton and we thought we’d get Keith Southern off but we didn’t so you don’t hold too much breath.”

Holloway was incensed by the referee’s decision to show Damien Delaney a straight red card after 11 minutes following a challenge on Jermaine Beckford, which was deemed to be reckless.

Holloway was also upset at Huddersfield being awarded a 20th-minute penalty after Sean Scannell was fouled and he also questioned the official’s decision to show Gerrard a red card.

“I thought he was so quick to make a decision and I’ve seen the angle, ” said Holloway of Delaney’s exit. “It wasn’t reckless or dangerous play and he wasn’t the last man. I just can’t believe how quickly, from that angle, that he made that decision.

“That’s a three-match ban and if he’s going to say that Delaney was the last man and he’s brought him down then I could accept that.

“But for a reckless challenge, not trying to play the ball, I don’t agree, but who am I? I’m just the Palace manager. I might be biased, mightn’t I?

“I thought Scannell deliberately played for the penalty. He could have easily taken another couple of steps and got on the end of it or whatever, but such is life.”

After losing Delaney, Palace were fortunate not to fall behind after 20 minutes when Adam Clayton’s penalty was saved by Julian Speroni.

That appeared to give the home side a lift and Wilfried Zaha fired his side ahead six minutes before the break after latching onto Yannick Bolasie’s neat flick.

But with 15 minutes remaining, Palace failed to clear Adam Hammill’s corner and Southern’s weak effort managed to sneak through Speroni’s legs.

Town then stood firm after Gerrard was harshly sent off for a foul on Bolasie.

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Ward (Moxey 53), Ramage, Delaney, Parr, Zaha, Garvan (Gabbidon 15), Jedinak, Dikgacoi, Bolasie (Moritz 82), Murray. Unused substitutes: Price, Easter, O’Keefe, Appiah. Sent Off: Delaney (11).

Huddersfield Town: Smithies, Hunt, Gerrard, Lynch, Woods, Scannell (Ward 71), Southern, Norwood (Hammill 46), Clayton, Vaughan (P Clarke 81), Beckford. Unused substitutes: Bennett, Dixon, Church, Atkinson.

Referee: G Scott (Oxfordshire).

Man of the match: Wilfried Zaha.