‘Surprised’ - Pundit left baffled by controversial West Brom penalty decision against Birmingham City

EFL pundit Clinton Morrison has weighed in on the penalty during Birmingham City v West Brom at St Andrew's.

Morrison, who played for Blues between 2002-2005, and made 97 appearances for the club, was in the Sky Sports studio alongside presenter Michelle Owen and ex-Baggies striker Rob Earnshaw.

In the first-half, referee James Linnington made the controversial decision to award the home team a penalty. Cedric Kipre was adjudged to have fouled Koji Miyoshi, despite minimal appeals from him, or his teammates.

It changed the complexion of the first-half as John Swift’s opener was cancelled out by Juninho Bacuna, and then DIon Sanderson put the hosts in front.

Despite his allegiances to Birmingham City however, Clinton Morrison did not agree with the decision, and made his opinion known.

Appearing on Sky Sports’ EFL coverage, Morrison said at half-time: “I don’t think it’s a penalty even with my former Birmingham City head on, no way.

“You can see Kipre surprised, and it’s not just him surprised, they’re all surprised. Bartley goes to say good defending there.

“I don’t think it’s a penalty. Listen, he gets the ball and maybe you can say he gets the follow through. He might catch a bit of Miyoshi, but no way is that a pen.

“Someone can say the left and right foot comes and catches him, but first and foremost he gets the ball.

“If that’s the refs view, that’s not a penalty. From that view Kipre gets the ball and it goes out for a corner. You see Bartley there clapping his hands, but Bacuna a confident penalty.”

As the second-half drew nearer, the former Championship forward also claimed that he had communicated with former ex-Premier League referee Mike Dean. He sought Dean’s opinion on the decision, and claimed that the 55-year-old did not believe it was a penalty.

He said: “Michelle (Owen), Mike Dean agreed with me because I called him when we were on, and he said it wasn’t a penalty. Mike Dean agrees with me, I must be right.”