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Swansea boss Garry Monk slams Stoke penalty decision a 'disgrace'

Swansea boss Garry Monk was furious with referee Michael Oliver's decision to award Stoke a first-half penalty during the Potters' 3-1 victory at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday, calling the decision a "disgrace."

The Swans had gone ahead through a Wilfried Bony penalty on 34 minutes after Oliver booked Ryan Shawcross as the pair tussled for a corner, though the official then pointed to the spot for the hosts nine minutes later as Victor Moses went down under slight contact from Angel Rangel.

Jon Walters went on to head the winning goal for Stoke with 15 minutes remaining, and Monk believes Moses "cheated" the referee to swing the game in Stoke's favour.

On the two penalty decisions, Monk told Sky Sports: "The first -- it was a penalty, I've watched it back. Shawcross I think it is that has his hands all over Bony and twists him around and knocks him, pulls Bony to the ground -- so for me that's a penalty.

"The penalty against is a disgrace. It's a disgraceful decision. Not in a million years is it a penalty and the problem we'll have with it now is a lot of games we're having this season a match-changing decision is going against us constantly and I don't see anything being done about it.

"I've spoke to the referees about it and the [Football Association] about it and I don't hear anything from [referee chief] Mike Riley coming back to me at all, which I find poor leadership, and the whole thing is beginning to mount up now which is becoming a very worrying situation.

"It's happening a lot. We're having a lot of decisions going against us -- match-changing decisions -- and it's a disgraceful decision because not in a million years... I looked straight at their bench and even they [Stoke] couldn't believe it.

"He [Moses] should be punished for diving -- it's a clear dive, which is cheating. He's cheated the ref and then the ref's cheated us for giving the decision that never was.

"I just think it's a poor, poor decision and it's cost us at a vital time where we're just coming up to half-time -- we should have been coming in 1-0 up and it's a different game then, a different game plan for us second half."

He added: "We have talked about being clinical and coming to a place like this the chances wouldn't be flowing so the very good chances that we had should have been goals but unfortunately we couldn't take them."

Stoke boss Mark Hughes defended the actions of Shawcross, saying: "I went to meetings with managers at the beginning of the year and the referees were talking about it and -- for whatever reason -- Ryan Shawcross has been highlighted in the media.

"Apparently he does holding in the box more than anyone else, which is complete nonsense to be perfectly honest with you.

"I see everybody in the Premier League holding people at corners, but the fact that it's been highlighted was maybe in the back of the referee's mind and I think he's just seen the lad go down quite easily.

"Bony's a big lad -- he's 15-16 stone of pure muscle and he goes down too easily in my mind.''

In reply to Monk's comments, Hughes hit back and said: "I actually heard him say that my player was a cheat which is unacceptable in my view.

"He's [Monk] obviously upset. We have to come in here 20 minutes after the game to speak about what's gone on and sometimes you just have to bite your tongue and maybe that will come from experience."

The win for Hughes' side moves them level with Swansea, whose last league victory came against West Brom in August, with 11 points from their opening eight games.

Information from the Press Association was used in this report.