Dermot Gallagher believes that Birmingham City received a stroke of luck with a penalty decision in their recent victory over West Brom on Friday night. In a match where Birmingham emerged victorious in a controversial manner, they initially trailed 1-0 to Albion after a goal by John Swift. However, they had the opportunity to level the score from a penalty midway through the first half.
The penalty was awarded when Cedric Kipre was judged to have fouled Koji Miyoshi after a challenge on the forward. Replays indicated that Kipre had actually won the ball, with it deflecting off the Blues player, suggesting it should have been a goal kick. Nevertheless, referee James Linnington pointed to the spot, and Juninho Bacuna converted to make it 1-1.
Carlos Corberan, the Birmingham manager, expressed his frustration with the decision after the game, criticizing the referee and suggesting that Albion faced more than 11 players on the night at St. Andrew’s.
Discussing the incident on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher disagreed with the penalty decision. He pointed out that the only Birmingham player appealing for anything was the one who signaled for a corner. Gallagher initially believed the referee had given a goal kick because of what seemed like a slip by the Birmingham player, indicating that Kipre got the ball, leading to a goal kick in his view.
For West Brom, the controversial penalty was undoubtedly a setback, but it shouldn’t overshadow the fact that they were not at their best during the match. Despite the unjust decision against them, there was still a lot of football to be played, and the team should have had a better mentality to recover.
As for West Brom’s future, the loss came at the end of a good run of form, and it’s unfortunate that it occurred during the international break, preventing them from an immediate opportunity to bounce back. However, Corberan’s team is in a decent position early in the season, and they will need to maintain their momentum in the coming weeks and months if they intend to make a serious push for a top-six position. West Brom’s next match is on October 21 when they host Plymouth at The Hawthorns.