Mike Dean shares instant reaction to West Brom vs Hull City controversy, team can feel hard done by
Mike Dean isn’t convinced that referee Josh Smith should have sent off Hull City defender Charlie Hughes in West Brom’s 3-0 win at The Hawthorns.
The Baggies took the lead through Josh Maja’s first-half strike, before Hughes was sent off for pulling back Jed Wallace after the winger got past him in Hull’s final third.
Substitute Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba then fired the ball across goal for Aune Heggebo to score, before Isaac Price sealed the emphatic win with a cultured finish from Danny Imray’s cross.
The Baggies delivered one of their best performances of the season against a side that is currently in the playoff places, and James Morrison should get a lot of credit for his tactics.
However, Dean clearly feels that they were given a helping hand by the referee when he decided to show Hughes a red card in the 36th minute.
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Hull City unlucky to have Charlie Hughes sent off
Although Hughes was adjudged to have been the last man, Wallace’s heavy touch meant he was never going to keep the ball, regardless of the foul.
It’s clearly a sceptical decision, and if it had been given against West Brom, then the fans would rightly be furious.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday show, the former Premier League referee didn’t agree with Smith’s decision.
He said: “Not for me. He’s knocked it past him, but he’s not getting to the ball. The ball is near enough in the keeper’s hands. It’s very harsh.”
Although West Brom may have been lucky in that aspect, that doesn’t take anything away from how well the players performed.
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Why James Morrison is the right man to lead West Brom to safety
When it was confirmed that Morrison would take charge until the end of the season, fans weren’t entirely sure that it was the right move.
The ex-Baggies midfielder has no real managerial experience, but his love for the club is clearly showing in the way he’s motivating his squad.
The Baggies were unfortunate not to secure all three points against Southampton in midweek, but they were duly rewarded on Saturday for a display that showed how much quality the players have.
Under both Eric Ramsay and Ryan Mason, the team was lacking confidence, but Morrison has reignited the belief around B71 that West Brom have enough to stay up.
No other manager knows the Black Country outfit as well as him, and if the Baggies can continue to perform as they did against Hull for the remainder of the season, then they’ll definitely steer clear of relegation.
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