James Shan furious with officials following West Brom first-leg play-off defeat

The Baggies caretaker didn't think Dwight Gayle should have been sent off in the 88th minute, and questioned both yellow cards that led to his marching orders.

Gayle, who put Albion ahead after 16 minutes, will now miss Tuesday's second leg at The Hawthorns.

Shan also believed Albion should have had a 'clear-cut' penalty in the second half when Mason Holgate was shoved to the floor in the box, and said Tammy Abraham stayed down after his challenge deliberately.

Shan was pleased with his side's performance, which frustrated Villa for 70 minutes and left them 1-0 up, before two goals in four minutes turned the tie on its head.

But he was left bemoaning decisions by referee Graham Scott.

Gayle was booked for alleged timewasting in the second half before he was shown a second yellow after catching Jed Steer.

"If I'm honest with you, I'm looking at both bookings," he said. "He's got booked for allegedly timewasting for the throw-ins.

"To my mind, every time the ball went out he had an intent of walking towards to the ball.

"It's a new one on me if you have to jog and sprint to restart every time the ball goes out.

"No problem with me with the referee discussing that with him and trying to hurry him up, but not once did Dwight stand still, every time he's walking to take the throw-in.

"The second one, for myself, he's got every right to contest the ball.

"It's a fantastic delivery from James (Morrison), great timing from Dwight and if he gets contact he's a two-goal hero.

"He's obviously a big player for us, that's obviously a big frustration."

Gayle had earlier fouled Jack Grealish while on a yellow card, and Shan was asked if he thought he should've taken his star striker off earlier.

"Not at all," he said. "Dwight's a competitive individual, his emotional control is very good.

"The nature of his sending off, there's no malice in there whatsoever, his eyes are transfixed on the ball, he's trying to win the first contact."

After Albion fell 2-1 down, Mason Holgate was shoved to the floor by a combination of Tammy Abraham and Grealish but no penalty was given.

"It's a penalty on Mason Holgate all day long," said Shan. "There's no intent to win the ball by Abraham.

"I think he's been very cute in the manner that he knows he's in the wrong and he stays down on the pitch and plays he's injured.

"All day long for me that's a clear cut penalty for a foul on Mason Holgate."

Shan admitted his players were fuming in the changing room after the final whistle, and reckons they deserved more after a resolute defensive performance that frustrated Villa for much of the game.

"I was quite comfortable in the approach and the execution of our game plan for large parts of that," said Shan.

"I was highly frustrated with the nature of the two goals we conceded, but within that there's a compliment in to our game plan.

"It's a strike from distance and through bodies, we could have communicated to get somebody in the line of the ball quicker.

"The other one's a penalty, so there's a compliment there. The boys took on the game plan and executed it very well. We've been done by a strike from distance and a penalty."

Matters became even more difficult for Shan at half-time, when he was forced to take Craig Dawson off and shuffle Mason Holgate to centre-back.

"He was sick on the pitch, and he had a dizzy spell," said Shan. "He was given a tablet by the medical staff.

"Craig's experienced this before, it normally settles down. But he was sick again in the changing room at half-time, so it was a forced substitution.

"He's been fine, there's been no bug at the training ground, he's had no signs of being ill. I need to get further information from the medical team."