Carlos Corberan: West Brom faced 'more than 11 men'

The Baggies boss said "I have never had this feeling in my life" about referee James Linington's call to award a spot-kick for Cedric Kipre's challenge on Koji Miyoshi and insisted he will "never forget" the incident that he felt cost his side at St. Andrew's.

The head coach referenced the decisions that cost his Huddersfield side in the Championship play-off final against Nottingham Forest - where VAR denied the Terriers two penalties - but suggested this call left him feeling worse as Albion fell 3-1 to Blues to end a five-game unbeaten run.

He felt Blues' Miyoshi slipped into the path of Kipre as the boss also felt the free-kick for Gary Gardner's late third goal was incorrect and Albion were denied a handball penalty from Nathaniel Chalobah's late free-kick.

Corberan believes Albion have been hard done to by officials of late and once again referenced the last-gasp decision to deny Josh Maja a penalty at Bristol City, an incident which left Maja injured for eight weeks. The referee that day, Anthony Backhouse, was fourth official against Blues tonight. Albion have received refereeing reports in recent weeks where five major incidents have gone against them.

He suggested Albion faced Blues and the decisions of the officials on another night to forget against Blues, who have won the last four against the Baggies. Corberan said: "Last year was a fair defeat. This year was different. Before the penalty we started well but after we didn't give enough continuity in the attacking half. We were defensively in control, we had opportunities to create more chances and we didn't do it well enough. After this, it's difficult to analyse the game tonight without talking about the penalty - it's changed the game.

"It affects the result a lot, unfortunately. When you're a coach, and you put your life in this work - believe me, I put my life in this work - you receive a report from the referees. When we talk about the last two games, there were five actions - and this is not my subjective evaluation, it's the referee's report - that were penalties for us. They were inaccurate decisions by the referees.

"Then when you go to the pitch and you suffer defeat after a penalty decision like this one, imagine how you can feel, when you put your life in this work, when you make your best and then you receive that report. Today, it's not that the referee whistled for a penalty to you, it's that the Birmingham player slipped in front of Kipre and you concede a penalty.

"After we can talk. Second half was better for us, we didn't score and they counter attack. Their goals - a penalty, a second phase of a set-piece and a free kick. They have accuracy and today we competed against more than just 11 players."

He added: "The first goal, I've never had this feeling before in my life. The second goal was an action we could've defended better, the second phase of a set piece, the third one was one you can only applaud because you cannot do many things about it.

"I think I counted one more attack from them in the transition, but I counted about four chances for us and we had good possibilities. Our attacks didn't always finish in a chance, often it was a set-piece and we need to work more to score more from those opportunities - we're not using them."

Albion played well in large parts at St. Andrew's and merited a point. They led through John Swift's sixth goal of the season but Juninho Bacuna equalised from the controversial penalty. Dion Sanderson put the hosts ahead before half-time before Gardner's late third. Albion were on top for most of the second half at 2-1 and played some nice football but did not create enough - with Darnell Furlong sliding wide the visitors' best chance.

To compound a monumentally frustrating evening for the Baggies, top scorer Swift limped off after the break with a calf injury.

Corberan didn't bother to seek an explanation from the officials at full-time, with so many recent incidents going against his side.

The Spaniard said: "If I talk about decisions today - in one free-kick Chalobah was taking there was a hand (in the box), in the finishing action that (Dion) Sanderson stopped there was something there, and in this (third goal) action I didn't see a foul.

"Today I am not going to ask for anything (from officials), today I have to tell you my thoughts, because I never like to talk about the referees because I know how difficult there job is.

"I repeat to you, it's not about the referee tonight because I don't have doubts about his integrity, The only thing is...you receive reports, and today the fourth official was the referee that didn't whistle at Bristol City, where Maja was injured.

"I was talking to him about this, but it doesn't mean anything now to talk with you about something I cannot change."

It is the latest officiating blunder in English football this week after VAR talk dominated following the controversial call to disallow Luis Diaz's onside goal in the Tottenham v Liverpool Premier League fixture.

Asked about technology in the Championship sorting decisions Corberan - who was stung by VAR at Wembley with Huddersfield, added: "If the VAR helps to get to the correct decision (then) yes, if it doesn't help..."

To finish, the Baggies boss summarised: "I feel upset and difficult to manage the frustration that happened tonight and maybe we would have lost anyway (if not for the penalty), maybe we lose another way and talk about a different game, but we need to talk about us.

"Still after this action we have the opportunity, a clear chance with the finish of Furlong, it's true we need to be better in the attacking box, it's something we can work on.

"We can work in the attacking half managing the ball, because we didn't manage it well enough in the first half. I cannot tell you many things we should've done better tonight."