A frustrated Slaven Bilic likened the controversial finale of West Brom’s match against Charlton to “a horror movie” but refused to completely condemn the referee, Matt Donohue.
Josh Cullen’s penalty deep into stoppage time earned the visitors a 2-2 draw and denied Albion the chance to move four points clear at the top of the Championship. Semi Ajayi collided with Naby Sarr in the penalty area to force the Baggies to settle for a point after Hal Robson-Kanu looked to have given them victory.
Donohue had already courted controversy in the second half when he sent off Grady Diangana in a case of mistaken identity before changing his decision to dismiss Nathan Ferguson – correctly – for a poor challenge on Chris Solly.
Macauley Bonne cancelled out Matt Phillips’s early opener and, after the second-half drama, Bilic lamented the outcome. He said: “The whole story was there for us. It was a game which would have been more than three points, with 10 men and all that. Then someone says: ‘No, we’re going to make a horror movie, not a good one.’
“It’s nothing personal, it’s hard for them [referees] and I went to speak to him after the game and I needed that. The problem is when they [say] you can’t talk about the referee but it’s a major part of our job. I can be permitted to say my opinion but, with the greatest respect to Charlton, it was the decision [the penalty] which took the win away from us.”
Of Ferguson’s red card, Bilic said: “He [Donohue] is human, you don’t want to have ‘blah, blah’ from your wife when you get home, not to mention 30,000 people questioning you. But give credit to him – he didn’t go: ‘No, no, no.’ He listened.”
Phillips scored after 10 minutes, capitalising on a low cross from Matheus Pereira, who had been put clear by Jake Livermore. Albion held that lead for 50 minutes as they looked to capitalise on Leeds’s 0-0 draw at Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the afternoon but Charlton levelled on the hour through Bonne’s header after Cullen’s 25-yard drive looped high off Kyle Bartley.
Ferguson was dismissed seven minutes later for his rash tackle on Solly – but only once Donohue was persuaded to change his mind during three minutes of confusion after incorrectly dismissing Diangana.
Robson-Kanu came off the bench to restore Albion’s lead with nine minutes left, cutting in from the left and curling the ball into a bottom corner from 16 yards. Cullen netted from the spot in the fourth minute of injury time after Ajayi and Sarr collided.
Lee Bowyer called for VAR to be introduced in the Championship, even if it may have denied his side their late leveller. “It should be, because the rewards to get out of this division are massive,” the Charlton manager said. “With West Brom’s second goal, it hits his [Robson-Kanu’s] arm and if that’s on VAR it’s no goal.
“I thought the referee did OK, he got the sending-off right – which was the most important thing. It’s the worst and hardest job in the world.
“The penalty looked soft. Both our goals had a bit of luck but maybe that’s what we needed.”
