'I don't care' - James Morrison verdict on penalty controversy after West Brom drought finally ends

The Baggies were awarded and converted their first penalty of the season against the Red Dragons as Josh Maja made it 2-0 at The Hawthorns on Friday.

Wrexham, hunting for a fourth successive promotion under Phil Parkinson, staged a second-half comeback to claim a point in an entertaining affair and Parkinson had some choice words for former Premier League referee Bobbly Madley for penalising Issa Kabore’s grapple with Jayson Molumby.

Head coach Morrison, whose side went five unbeaten, pointed to the fact Albion had been starved of penalties all season and disagreed with Parkinson’s assessment.

“I don't care because we haven't had a penalty for quite a long time so I'm happy with that,” Morrison said about the decision.

“At the start of this season the referees said they're going to be punishing that and clamping down on it. I've yet to seen it so I will take that all day.

“Yeah, that's exactly that (set-piece grappling only stamped out with penalties). I did feel like he was pulling Jayson, so the correct decision.”

Wing-back Kabore was holding on to Molumby before Callum Styles delivered the corner. The Wrexham man was not even interested in looking at the ball and Republic of Ireland international Molumby hit the deck.

Parkinson felt referee Madley was “conned” by Molumby.

He said: “The deflection for the first one us unlucky and the second, if you give a penalty for that you give three or four a game.

“I can’t believe an experienced referee has been conned by Molumby, he has thrown himself to the floor.

“There was contact in the box but only what you see in the box all the time.”

Parkinson added of his side’s second-half fightback: “We came in at half time and asked the lads to improve, get five to ten yards up the field and they were brilliant against a decent side.

“We know they are in a false position, they were flying at the start of the season and chopped and changed their managers.”

The Baggies led through Isaac Price’s deflected free-kick and Maja’s penalty, the first the Baggies have been awarded for 13 months.

Albion’s last spot-kick was in the 1-0 home win over QPR last March, from which former loanee Adam Armstrong converted.

Josh Windass and Lewis O’Brien hit back for Wrexham shortly into the second half at The Hawthorns.

Morrison’s men head to relegation rivals Blackburn on Monday for a six-pointer in front of 7,500 travelling supporters.