West Bromwich Albion defender Conor Townsend believes his side should have had a penalty in the 2-0 defeat against Southampton last night.
The Baggies went into the game at the Hawthorns knowing that a win would give them a seven point cushion in fifth place as they look to secure a play-off place. They suffered an early blow when manager Carlos Corberan was given a straight red card in bizarre circumstances after just six minutes.
With the ball appearing to have gone out of play, the Spaniard stopped it rolling in preparation for the throw-in. However, the linesman had deemed otherwise and Corberan was swiftly dismissed by the referee.
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Ryan Fraser then gave the Saints an early lead just before the quarter-hour mark when he hit a deft volley into the bottom corner. The hosts remained within touching distance for the remainder of the half and should have had a penalty in added time.
With half time approaching, Darnell Furlong’s attempt appeared to strike the arm of Southampton centre-back Jack Stephens. The appeals were waved away, and it proved to be a pivotal moment when David Brooks doubled the visitors lead in the second half to hand the three points to Russell Martin’s team.
Speaking to the media after the game, via the official club website, Conor Townsend identified the penalty decision and the second goal as the two moments which ultimately decided the game:
“The second goal kills it. They seem to take their chances to kill games off at right times. It was an important goal for them and it knocked the wind out of our sails.
“I couldn’t see much of the penalty decision on the pitch. I’ve watched it back and I think it’s a difficult one for the referee to see it, but that’s what the linesman is for.
“His arm is out and I think VAR probably does give it.
“We’ve had chances other than that. We can’t just blame the officials. We need to be better and look at ourselves.
“We’re disappointed because we feel like we’ve got good enough players to win that game.
West Brom will look to bounce back on Tuesday night when they travel to Plymouth Argyle before taking on fellow play-off chasers Hull City at the MKM Stadium.
Writer’s View
West Brom are right to feel aggrieved at the penalty decision, although they did have chances to get back into the game before Brooks sealed the win for the Saints. The Baggies are still in a strong position and there is no shame in losing to a team that are looking increasingly likely to secure an automatic promotion spot.
Some will still maintain the West Midlands-based side have over-achieved this season, and news of the imminent takeover provides a welcome boost of their own as they look to return to the Premier League after a three-year absence.
