October 11 2001

Steve Bruce

Steve Bruce blamed his side's lack of punch in front of goal and tiredness for crashing out of the Worthington Cup against Sheffield Wednesday.

Palace went twice in the lead in normal and extra time, then Kevin Pressman saved three times in the penalty shootout for the Owls to avenge last week's 4-1 defeat at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles had many chances to extend the lead and Bruce claims some players were tired due to international commitments on the weekend.

He said: "We've come to Sheffield Wednesday and created chances and I'm sitting here wondering why we did not win.

"We're disappointed to go out on penalties and I have a dressing room full of disappointed players.

"It should not have got to that stage but the international fixtures have not helped as they have not just played games it's also the physical bit of travelling.

"The longer the game went on the more the international fixtures went against us.

"If we had got the second we would have gone on to win comfortably, but we didn't and credit to Sheffield Wednesday

"But credit to Wednesday. They threw a few things at us in the box. We expected a backlash after beating them 4-1 but we missed good chances."

Wednesday boss Peter Shreeves praised Pressman, who is on a run of good form at the moment.

He said: "Kevin was excellent. I was always confident when it went to penalties.

"At the end we had eight lads under 22 who were volunteering to take penalties.

"The work rate from them was excellent. Palace will be disappointed because at 2-1 they had chances to win but that is what happens in cup ties."