Ex-West Brom boss expresses official frustration after side narrowly beaten on Hawthorns return

Isaac Price's first half strike was enough to separate the two sides - with Albion having to deal with late pressure from the visitors.

But it could have been very different as Blackburn had a penalty shout turned away in the first half when Yuki Ohashi went down under pressure from Torbjorn Heggem.

The ref turned away the claims - but the former Baggies boss was strong in his assessment on the referee's decision.

He said: "Yes, one hundred per cent. One hundred per cent. If you see how the referee saw the foul from the middle of the pitch or even after that, it’s a penalty. 

"If you blow a penalty, nobody would complain. But it is what it is.

“I spoke with him briefly after the game, so he saw the issue. But we cannot change anything. It is what it is, we will accept it and move on.”

Elsewhere, Ryan Mason was also asked about the spot kick.

He insisted he didn't see it but he may have felt different had it been in the opposite box.

He said: "It was another one that's really far away for me to see. 

"I think you see those things all the time where players just stop. I don't necessarily believe it's always a foul.

"I need to see the replay to have an honest opinion. But yeah, the ref was close.

" So like I said, I respect his decision with sending one of our players off.

"As it happened I didn't expect him to blow for a penalty. 

"But yeah, maybe if it was the other way around, I don't know whether I'd feel different. I'm not so sure."