"Quite remarkable" assessment on late Plymouth defeat from stunned West Brom boss

Rock-bottom Plymouth earned a first Championship win in 16 attempts with a late fightback to overturn Jayson Molumby's 74th-minute goal for the visitors.

A controversial penalty decision from referee Dean Whitestone gave the hosts a leg up as Ryan Hardie converted from 12 yards after Callum Styles was deemed to have handled in the box from a Hardie strike.

Hardie, who had not scored since September, then buried a clinical finish for an 88th-minute winner to inflict a real body blow on the play-off chasing visitors.

Mowbray did not have too many complaints generally with his side's performance at Home Park, though said there were not enough efforts for the possession.

"We are a bit stunned in the dressing room, really, how we found a way to lose that game," Mowbray said.

"Every time a team gets around your box you're wary but I don't think our keeper was making lots of great saves. I didn't really feel their threat. I'd referenced before when I came here with Sunderland and we lost 2-1, how there could potentially be poor decisions or a piece of magic being a problem however much of the ball or however many shots you have.

"It turned out to be one of those days really. I'm not sure how we lost that. I'll be honest, because you report to our supporters, and tell them we weren't good enough today but I'm not sure how we managed to lose that because I thought there was a lot of dominance.

"There probably were not enough shots for the amount of the ball we had. The way they play, their five across the back, played a lot deeper than they normally would, they normally push wing-backs really high."

Mowbray added: "I think lots went right today, just the scoreline wasn't right.

"I don't know about watching it - but it felt like to me we were a team at the top end of the table and they were a team scrambling for something to drop for them. They got a break with what I feel is a poor decision and right at the death they scored.

"Good luck to them. We're just frustrated, how we didn't manage to get anything out of that game is quite remarkable."

Mowbray felt the penalty incident was a "really poor decision". The call turned the contest's finale in the hosts' favour.

The head coach said: "We found it difficult to break them down from a lot of possession and it seems they were given a hand with what appears to me a really poor decision. I'm not sure what the defender is supposed to do from two yards away when the boy lashes it at him.

"Is there a rule that says you have to put your hands behind your back now? Is it body-to-hand (ruling)? I'm not sure what the referee saw to be honest. I've only seen it once on a laptop. I think it's a very sure decision, we've got to accept it, there will be really poor decisions up and down the country, we've got to get on with it.

"I won't be going to see the ref either, I've done that for 20 years, they sit in that office and they're never wrong. I've never had a referee tell me 'sorry Tony, I got that one wrong I must apologise' - they always back each other up. It doesn't make any difference."