Lewis Cox analysis: Gung-ho West Brom come out on wrong side of Leicester late show - but right call?

Maja’s goal felt as close to a winner as an equaliser could. But there was one side celebrating victory at full-time – and it was Enzo Maresca’s visitors. Indeed the Italian, who used to grace The Hawthorns surface so delightfully, leapt forward on to the turf in celebration as Harry Winks slotted in the 94th-minute winner in front of a delirious away end.

Only a second Hawthorns defeat of the season for Albion – and only a fourth in Carlos Corberan’s 13 months at the helm – but it carried similar hallmarks of the 2-1 stoppage-time defeat against Huddersfield in early September.

The debate between Albion fans staring wistfully into their beer on Saturday afternoon was whether or not Corberan got it badly wrong in those dramatic dying moments.

A long Darnell Furlong throw-in – undoubtedly a great and probably under-appreciated weapon in Albion’s armoury – had just brought about Maja’s equaliser, when Leicester’s half-cleared effort was tossed back into the box and Maja was coolest in the ensuing scramble.

There was a real din inside the stadium. A minimum of five minutes were added and it had the look and feel of both sides still trying to ‘go for it’. Corberan admitted afterwards he was unhappy at Albion’s lack of care with the ball even before the decisive drama.

So when a throw-in was awarded in Furlong territory in minute 94, the right-back was waved over to the left, the decibels cranked up and Albion sensed a statement winner.

What happened was the opposite. The Foxes cleared, Nathaniel Chalobah and Jayson Molumby – who Corberan revealed should have been the midfield ‘shield’ – were bypassed (could the latter have made a telling professional foul?) and Conor Townsend was exposed.

Townsend tracked the wrong man from Kelechi Iheanacho’s fine pass and the brilliant Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was left to run in on goal, with Winks for support. Furlong, the thrower, bust a gut to get back but Dewsbury-Hall was smart and took goalkeeper Alex Palmer out of the equation by squaring to Winks for the tap-in.

All of this, from Furlong’s throw, happened in about 10 seconds. It was one of those football moments going on before your eyes where, certainly from a Baggies perspective, you can clearly see what it is unfolding but it doesn’t quite feel real.

It wasn’t too dissimilar to when Huddersfield’s Jack Rudoni lashed in at that end exactly two months earlier. The Foxes, though, clearly have more bite than the Terriers.

So that was what happened – but should it have happened?

The clear and simple answer is no. There is no way, in the 94th minute, Leicester should win from that situation.

The why it happened was simple – as explained by Corberan, surprisingly in a more philosophical than downbeat mood afterwards.

The head coach was very clear he had no regrets. It was also quite clear to see he was being genuine. This wasn’t a ‘hide it from the press’ scenario.

Corberan explained Albion set up for the long throw-in as they would for one in any game at any time, with the idea of central midfielders and one full-back hanging back.

Now those against this notion, and there were many of them who claimed the hosts should’ve been satisfied with a late point against a top side like Leicester, would argue that thought process is wrong.

They stated Albion should leave one or both of Semi Ajayi and Cedric Kipre back in that instance, or even hold the ball up in the corner for a share of a spoils. Some tried to find a middle ground of ‘no problem in looking for a winner, but ensure your house is in order defensively’.

Corberan, who would generally lean towards caution and stability, was clearly in the ‘go for it’ camp here, but not necessarily through choice. He saw it as a dead-ball scenario where his side could create a chance or score a goal.

If anything, the Spaniard can be admired for sticking to his principles. Debaters will have to agree to disagree on this one.

I don’t see too much wrong with the set-up, personally. The goal partly happened because of Iheanacho, Dewsbury-Hall and Winks’ quality. More ordinary Championship sides don’t score that. We’d be having a different conversation if this happened to Albion in the Premier League!

On another day, Chalobah, Molumby, Townsend or Furlong, or whoever, is able to get a foot in or make a foul. This time, everything conspired against Albion.

Yes, Albion and Corberan could’ve been more cautious. But I don’t mind a boss that goes for it in that scenario. Especially against a top side. It shows an ambitious mindset.

I also took a lot of encouragement from the way the home side competed with a Leicester side containing several Premier League quality players. This was the toughest test of the season yet, and Corberan’s side merited the hard-earned point in their grasp.

Albion’s response to that aforementioned Huddersfield defeat was one loss in 10 and a load of clean sheets. Results elsewhere behind Albion went their way this weekend, so a similar reaction here will have the Baggies looking strong in the top-six hunt.