Oumar Niasse ban will make players think twice about diving, says Roy Hodgson

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson believes the two-match ban given to Everton forward Oumar Niasse will make players think twice about diving.

Niasse is the first Premier League player to be given retrospective punishment for “successful deception of a match official” after his dive won a penalty against Palace.

An independent three-man FA panel found Niasse guilty of simulation and Hodgson feels the ban will put players off diving in the future.

The Palace manager said: “All these things do make players think about diving. When it is discussed afterwards and experts on the TV state their case, of course it has an effect.

“I think we lost points as a result of it and the FA have seen fit to punish him because they do not want it to happen to other teams.”

Palace defender Scott Dann was penalised by referee Anthony Taylor when there appeared to be minimal contact with Niasse during last Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park.

Hodgson said: “We thought after the game that it was a dive. It is always hard for referees to pick these things up in the heat of the moment. But we thought the player had dived. I respect the decision they have made but it does not help us a great deal.”