West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has insisted the penalty awarded to Manchester United in Wednesay's FA Cup tie was due to referee bias.
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The Hammers were denied a penalty when United fullback Rafael appeared to handle in the area.
The Red Devils were later awarded a spot-kick after the ball struck Jordan Spence's arm, although Wayne Rooney failed to convert.
However, Rooney's earlier strike was enough to secure Sir Alex Ferguson's men a 1-0 win to progress to the fourth round.
Allardyce believes referee decisions are always swayed in United's favour, particularly at Old Trafford.
"You see it time and time again at Old Trafford," the 58-year-old said.
"There's no doubt about the difference between Rafael's handball and Jordan Spence's.
"Spence plays for West Ham and the away team, while Rafael plays for the home side at Old Trafford."
While the ball undoubtedly struck both players' hands, Allardyce also suggested that referee Phil Dowd had pointed to spot having not actually seen Spence handle the ball.
He added: "With Rafael, the ball hits his hand but no penalty is given. With Jordan Spence, the ball hits his hand and it's a penalty.
"The incidents are the same. If you give one you've got to give both, simple as that."
"The ref did not see Rafael's handball because of his position," he said. "But he was in a worse position to see Jordan Spence's than Rafael's."





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