EL-Hadji Diouf is still at the centre of controversy on Tuesday after being accused of diving to claim his disputed winning goal in Monday night's derby against Blackburn Rovers.

Diouf was judged to have been brought down by goalkeeper Brad Friedel 13 minutes from time, but TV replays later supported the claim that there had been no contact between the players.

The Senegal striker scored the only goal of the game from the rebound after Friedel had saved his hotly-disputed spot-kick, sparking outrage at Ewood Park.

Rovers manager Mark Hughes led the protests and even Diouf's teamate Gary Speed admitted the penalty should not have been awarded, but Wanderers boss Sam Allardyce refused to let the controversy take the gloss off a derby triumph that underlined his side's exciting return to form.

He agreed Wanderers were fortunate the decision had gone in their favour but refused to condemn the player who has courted controversy since joining Wanderers on loan from Liverpool at the start of the season.

He preferred to focus on the transformation since the turn of the year that has produced three successive Premiership wins and 10 points from four games after 2004 ended with six successive defeats.

While repeating his call for football to adopt video technology to cover all major decisions, he welcomed the slice of luck that had helped top up the confidence level that was already high after successive victories at Birmingham and at home to Arsenal.

"We went through a torrid time, losing three derbies on the trot - against Manchester City, Manchester United and Blackburn," he said. "But there's been a fantastic turnaround in our fortunes. Things are looking good and the lads have got their confidence back.

"Thirty-three points has tilted us back into the top half of the table again, where we think we deserve to be, and January 2005 has turned out to be as good as December 2004 was bad."

Allardyce acknowledged that Diouf's behaviour would earn him more notoriety. He plans to discuss the incident with the player but what is said will remain confidential.

"It is something he has obviously been doing all his life like many, many players do," the manager said.

"Who doesn't do it? I am defending my player and Sir Alex Ferguson has to defend Wayne Rooney while Arsene Wenger has to defend (Robert) Pires.

"But I think he handled himself reasonably well, especially away from home and under difficult circumstances.

"He's gone down, he thinks he's got a touch and he's taken a tumble. The referee thinks he's made contact and he's given the penalty.

"That's a change because El-Hadji is our most fouled player and referees usually wave play-on because of his reputation.

"It just highlights the case for video replays. But it has to be brought in for everything - for goals, free-kicks, penalties and offside decisions that may result in a goal, a corner or a free kick.

"Let's get it in. Every other professional sport has it so why should we have it in our multi-million pound league?"