Darren Moore: No complaints over West Brom defeat

The Baggies missed out on a chance to go top of the Championship in a feisty encounter at the DW Stadium today when they suffered their first defeat in eight league games.

Harvey Barnes was upended in the box five minutes after the break with the game goalless and in the balance, but instead of pointing to the spot, Jeremy Simpson booked the youngster for diving.

"It’s not a dive," said Moore. "He’s booked him for a dive and it’s not a dive.

"He’s made an a honest attempt, but the ref saw it as a dive. That was the only minor (error). Apart from that I thought he (Simpson) had an excellent game."

It was a tough game for Simpson to officiate with a number of flash points, particularly in the first half.

He showed nine yellow cards in total, including two to Jake Livermore, who was sent off with five minutes to go and will now miss the midweek game with Derby.

"Jake would be the first one to hold his hands up," said Moore. "As a head coach I’ve no complaints with the referee’s decisions on both of his yellow cards - he’s got it right."

Before that, Josh Windass had given Wigan a deserved lead, latching onto a flick on before bursting past Ahmed Hegazi and firing a low shot past Sam Johnstone.

"Those type of games are there lying in wait for you in the Championship," said Moore. "I’ve no complaints.

"It was a game where both teams were battling with not much goalmouth action. Whatever goalmouth action there was it was off target.

"From a neutral it looked like it was going to be a nil-nil. The chance fell to them, the boy took it really well and you suffer a defeat."

It's only the second time in the league Albion have failed to find the net this season, and Moore was asked why his side failed to click today.

"Sometimes it’s football and you just can’t put your finger on it," he said. "In many weeks we’ve scored goals in the last 20 minutes of matches.

"This week it just didn’t happen. Other weeks it will happen.

"Give Wigan credit for the way they went about the game with their game-plan. We tried to play and come here and win.

"They tried to win and when you look at it the ball fell to their player in a position where they created a chance and he put it away very well.

"We’ll analyse the game. Win or lose you look back on every game, areas where you can be better or why it didn’t happen and try to put those wrongs right.

"You get 36 hours to look at it because come Monday morning it’s all about the next game."

Albion struggled to create many chances for their lethal strike duo. One opportunity did fall to Tyrone Mears in the first half, but he blazed his shot over.

However, Moore disputed the idea that his team's chances fell to the wrong players.

"No because you’ve seen in recent weeks wing-backs scoring goals," he said. "Both of them have the technical ability to hit the target with those.

"We’ve seen them in those positions hit the target and the keeper has pulled off saves.

"When the chances did drop to them you wait in anticipation for the keeper to make a save or they score a goal. It wasn’t to be today.

"The biggest thing is creating those chances and being in those positions rather than coming off without an opportunity to score."

Another flash point came in the first half when Jay Rodriguez had an altercation with Gary Roberts. Rodriguez was booked for reacting to a Roberts tackle and appeared to aim the ball at him.

"I’ve not seen that one yet, I don’t know if that’s a talking point," said Moore. "I’ll have a look when I go in with the analysis guys."