Holloway hits out at Blackpool staff member after late equaliser

Holloway left Blackpool just five weeks ago to take charge at promotion-chasing Palace and his new side appeared on course to claim three points when Glenn Murray and Owen Garvan overturned Nathan Delfouneso’s first-half opener.

But Dicko stepped off the bench to level, prompting exuberant celebrations in the visitors’ dug-out that Holloway believes went too far in the case of one of Michael Appleton’s backroom staff.

The Palace manager said: “They were delighted at the end but I didn’t like the reaction of one of the men on their bench.

“One of the new fellas looked straight at me when they equalised.

“It’s a war out there and I carried my shield very proud.

“He didn’t stare me out - no one can stare me out. I know Michael wouldn’t have done something like that, he’s got more about him than that. But I didn’t look round at them when we scored, did I?

“It was not easy to play down the emotion, I was at Blackpool a long time and had great times.

“But you have to move on. I heard them singing ‘What’s the score?’ to me when they were winning - but that wasn’t happening when we were 2-1 up!”