Steve Clarke revealed his sadness and disappointment after the Baggies came within seconds of a famous win at Stamford Bridge.
Andre Marriner’s decision to award Chelsea a penalty in the 94th minute denied Albion a first win on Chelsea soil for thirty years after goals from Shane Long and Stephane Sessegnon.
But it was the referee’s costly error to award a dubious penalty to the hosts in the dying seconds which caught the headlines following Ramires’ tumble under minimal contact by Steven Reid.
Clarke admitted his dismay at the decision by Birmingham-born Marriner, but could not hide his pride on his old Stamford Bridge stomping ground.
“I’m just disappointed another decision has cost us two points,” said the Scot.
“And that’s not the first time this season.
“In my opinion, three penalty decisions this season have cost us five points – and in the Premier League five points are hard to get.
“Hopefully it’s not too costly for us in the long run.
“I’m flabbergasted by the decision – I can’t believe he gave it but I can’t change it.
“I saw it at the time, I’ve played the game and have good experience, and I knew the player was already on the way down before there was anyone even near him.
“And the referee has to be 100 per cent sure it’s a penalty.
“How he can be 100 per cent sure in that instance is beyond me?!
“It’s not correct – it was a bad decision
“I think he went down early before the contact.
“You guys can put a label on it if you want but the onus is on the referee to make the right decision –and he didn’t make it.
“It’s the kind of penalty that can be given when you’ve got a home crowd that shout for everything and put pressure on the referee.
“Referees are human; they make mistakes like everyone else.
“But for us today, the most galling fact is it should have been three points from Stamford Bridge which would have been a fantastic result for us.
“Instead of that it’s just a good result, it’s only a point.
“But the team were tremendous today and I’m really proud of the way they responded in the second half.”
What did you make of Marriner's late penalty decision? Have your say here at Baggies Banter.
Source: WBA MAD
Source: FOOTYMAD
