Paul Hart may fine Claude Davis after his sending off cost Crystal Palace against Leicester City last night.

The defender was shown a straight red card by referee Steve Tanner for appearing to strike Michael Morrison in the face just before half-time.

Although Davis protested his innocence, Hart was scathing of the Jamaican in his post-match press conference and says if he can fine him, he will.

"I will study what the code of conduct is here," he said.

"My last words to the team all the time are stay on and keep 11 on the pitch so I will have to see what the fines are.

"Certainly normally with the way I run things he would be fined.

"I don't think we can defend Claude at all and I have not asked him for an explanation.

"It was unnecessary and it's made the game extremely difficult for us.

"The game was hard enough with 11 men and with 10 it's a massive difference.

"Now I have got to consider the recovery for these players as they put a massive shift in today."

Hart was full of praise for the rest of his side though after they dominated possession late one but could not find a response to Bruno Berner's 53rd minute goal.

"The way we performed in the second half showed what these players are made of," he said.

"I thought they were excellent and we were very unlucky not to get at least one goal.

"The players are disappointed but I don't think they deserve to walk off that pitch with their shoulders hunched.

"Whatever frailties we have got you cannot call courage and desire one of them."

The former Portsmouth manager's decision to replace Darren Ambrose with 10 minutes left was greeted with a chorus of boos from the Palace crowd, but Hart defended the choice.

"We just wanted to get a striker on and keep a bit of pace around with Neil Danns and a solid two up front and three in midfield," he said.

"I didn't want to get beaten by five or six either as the last thing we wanted was to come off with four or five against us."