West Brom fight back to beat Bournemouth as Mark Clattenburg takes centre stage once again
West Bromwich Albion 2 AFC Bournemouth 1: The referee's questionable penalty decision handed the visitors an early lead but Tony Pulis' men fought their way back into the fixture
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Your support makes all the difference.West Brom fought back from 1-0 down to extend Bournemouth’s miserable start to 2017 as goalkeeper Artur Boruc and referee Mark Clattenburg took centre stage at The Hawthorns.
Clattenburg, who has announced he is leaving the Premier League for Saudi Arabia in the summer, helped the visitors lead early by awarding a debatable penalty.
But Albion fought back with first-half goals from Craig Dawson and Gareth McAuley - with the aid of a major Boruc error - to keep alive their own hopes of European qualification and leave Eddie Howe’s side with increasing worries about a looming relegation battle.
The Cherries have not won in eight games in all competitions in 2017.
Clattenburg was called upon to make some key decisions, denying both sides penalties after awarding the visitors’ early spot-kick, but the North East official got the majority of the big calls correct.
He also threatened to send angry West Brom boss Tony Pulis to the stands.
Dawson, meanwhile, had a painful end to his afternoon when he was knocked out briefly by a clash of heads with Tyrone Mings and was forced off.
With less than four minutes played, Clattenburg was in the thick of the action when he awarded a hotly-disputed penalty to the visitors.
Allan Nyom was beaten for pace by Ryan Fraser and was then adjudged to have dragged the Bournemouth winger to the ground with a hand on his shoulder.
West Brom were not happy with the decision and were even more aggrieved when King stroked home to spot-kick to open the scoring.
Moments later Chris Brunt collected a lay-off from Dawson and bent a powerful shot into the side netting.
Then Ben Foster in the Albion goal made a smart, flying save to keep out a long-range effort from Adam Smith.
But the Baggies were level on 11 minutes from the unlikely source of Dawson’s right boot, although his long-range drive from a Nacer Chadli pass took a big deflection off Charlie Daniels as it looped over a helpless Artur Boruc.
James Morrison then tried his luck from the edge of the area with his deflected effort bringing the corner from which Pulis’s side went ahead.
Brunt delivered it, Boruc made a hash of his attempted punch and the ball fell for McAuley to force the ball home from close range.
The spotlight was then turned on the officials when West Brom striker Salomon Rondon raced to intercept a poorly hit backpass and collided with defender Steve Cook.
The forward was adamant he was fouled but Clattenburg dismissed his appeals after consulting with his assistant.
Clattenburg then rejected Bournemouth’s penalty appeals when a Marc Pugh cross struck Dawson’s arm in the penalty area.
And he turned down angry West Brom shouts for a spot-kick when Rondon got behind Tyrone Mings and went down under his challenge, but replays showed the defender got a slight touch on the ball.
West Brom believed they had extended their lead six minutes into the second half but the goal was disallowed as they dealt with a sickening injury to Dawson.
McAuley headed a corner against the crossbar, Brunt returned the ball into the goalmouth and Dawson leapt with Mings and headed it towards goal before appearing to be knocked unconscious as he clashed heads with the Bournemouth defender.
A diving Nacer Chadli forced the ball home but as flagged offside as medics raced on to tend to Dawson, who came around but was still substituted.
With 17 minutes remaining and Bournemouth applying pressure, Clattenburg threatened Pulis with dismissal from the touchline after he reacted furiously to a free-kick awarded against Chadli.
In stoppage-time Foster made fine saves to deny Lys Mousset and Mings while Andre Surman headed wide from the resulting corner.
Speaking after Saturday's result, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe admitted his side are in a relegation battle - and that Leicester’s sacking of Claudio Ranieri had left all managers uncertain of their jobs.
“I’ve always said and maintained that I have to prove I’m good enough to be in the job by getting results,” he said.
“If you’re not getting results then it becomes difficult. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done or what you’ve achieved historically. I very much fall into that bracket.
“Naturally that concerns me, of course it does, and I’ve said for a long time I feel we’re in a relegation battle until we get the points that say we’re safe.
“I’ve got no problem facing that head-on. We need points and we need points quickly.”
West Brom (4-2-3-1): Foster; Dawson (McClean 54), McAuley, Evans, Nyom; Fletcher, Livermore; Brunt, Morrison (Yacob 73), Chadli (Field 88); Rondon. Subs not used: Myhill, Olsson, Robson-Kanu, Leko, Field. Booked: Nyom, McClean.
Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Boruc; Smith, Cook, Mings, Daniels; Arter (Afobe 66), Surman; Fraser, Wilshere (Gosling 66), Pugh (Mousset 79); King. Subs not used: Allsop, Gradel, Smith, Stanislas.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Attendance: 24,162
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