Freedman: laments injury toll

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Freedman points to fatigue

Crystal Palace boss Dougie Freeman refused to give excuses for his side’s 2-1 defeat to Barnsley on Monday night.

However, after watching his players struggle towards the end of the clash Freeman suggested that fatigue and injuries could be catching up with his side.

Palace were playing their third game in a week. They held their own for much of the tie until they were undone by Ricardo Vaz Te’s winner late in the second half.

“It was not an ideal start. It just goes to show how crucial the warm-up is,” Freedman said.

“I thought after that we settled down and at half-time we deserved to go in one each, so I was pleased with the response of the lads.

“You don’t make excuses because we’re professionals but it has caught up on us injury-wise. It’s not an excuse - Barnsley are a good team.

“The second-half performance was disappointing, but there are reasons for that.

“We’re tired and we couldn’t find that spark up front. A lot of credit to Barnsley - they kept going and they punished us.”