Cash saves point as referee comes under fire
Matty Cash’s stoppage-time equaliser salvaged a point for Nottingham Forest, who had twice been behind at the Hawthorns, in a game which left both managers complaining about refereeing decisions.
On the basis of chances created, Albion, the front-runners in the title race, missed an opportunity to ramp up the pressure on Leeds and the chasing pack. Yet there were controversies, of a familiar kind, concerning some of the decisions that influenced the outcome. Albion had a goal that would have won them all the points at the death ruled out, yet perhaps Forest had the greater cause for complaint.
It looked that way to Sabri Lamouchi, the Forest manager, who argued among other things that Albion’s Jake Livermore should have been shown a first-half red card for landing his studs on Yuri Ribeiro’s knee, that Albion’s second goal should have been disallowed for a foul on Sammy Ameobi that left the Forest man injured in the opposite half, and that a penalty should have been awarded for handball by Albion’s Kyle Bartley.
Where in the Premier League, the video assistant referee has been the subject of argument after argument, it was the lack of it that accentuated the pain for Lamouchi.
“People, referees, can make mistakes,” he said. “Decisions like this can change a game. We play football but not with the same rules as the Premier League. They play with VAR and without VAR you can end the game with some tension.
“For me the first foul against Yuri Ribeiro is a red card. In the Premier League with the VAR it is a red card. With the penalty, I think for the full stadium it was so clear. And when Ameobi is on the ground, after the foul by Pereira, he lets play go on.”
However, Slaven Bilic, Albion’s head coach, also had cause to feel Keith Stroud, the official concerned, might have done better, not least over what would have been Callum Robinson’s second goal, almost with the last kick of the game.
It was denied because Bartley, who was prone inside the Albion goal, was given offside as Tobias Figueiredo failed to keep Robinson’s shot from crossing the line.
“If he is lying inside the goal, I don’t see how he is interfering with play,” Bilic said. “It is two points lost after we are twice in front but, though I am frustrated and disappointed, I am happy we gave a proper performance.”
Albion, their campaign re-energised with three consecutive wins after a seven-match drought, had been seeking a result that would take them nine points clear at the top, at least ahead of the 3pm fixtures.
Their upturn has coincided with the arrival of Robinson on loan from Sheffield United, who has provided the cre- ativity they lost when Grady Diangana, their West Ham loanee, was injured in December.
Robinson had an influence in all the aforementioned three victories and made his most important contribution so far with the goal that put Albion in front after 37 minutes, finishing rightfooted after Matheus Pereira had picked him out in space on the left.
It was a bad moment for Samba Sow, the combative midfielder, who allowed Pereira to steal the ball and create the opening for Robinson.
Forest’s leveller was an own goal, turned in by Bartley, but the result of a superb low cross by Ameobi which would have reached an unmarked Lewis Grabban at the far post.
Although Forest had their complaints about the build-up to the second Albion goal, what happened next was to be admired. Robinson worked the ball to Pereira, who passed to Krovinovic, who in turn gave it to Livermore, whose cross was turned in by Figueiredo in similar circumstances to Bartley’s intervention.
From there, Albion should have closed out the game and would have had they been able to beat Brice Samba, who made some fine saves.
They looked to have done so, nonetheless, until Cash came up with a moment of brilliance a minute into the five added on, receiving the ball from Ben Watson after three failed attempts by Albion to clear the danger from a corner and whipping in a vicious diagonal strike that Sam Johnstone was powerless to keep out.