Rotherham manager Leam Richardson was left perplexed by referee Geoff Eltringham’s decision to award West Brom a penalty in the Baggies’ 2-0 win over the already-relegated Millers at the Hawthorns.

Brandon Thomas-Asante had handed the promotion-chasing hosts a 23rd-minute lead before Eltringham pointed to the spot when the striker’s shot struck Lee Peltier, though replays showed he was outside the box and the ball appeared to strike his face.

John Swift netted the resulting penalty in first-half stoppage time to settle the Championship fixture.

Richardson said: “I’ve not seen that before. The assistant was maybe 10 yards away looking down the line of it. Then he goes and books my assistant manager (Rob Kelly) for telling him ‘the linesman can help’. It was a wrong decision, and a poor one in my opinion. It changed the full outcome of the game.

“The first goal we gave away was poor, but then I thought the second one changed the whole complex.

“Someone said in another interview that those decisions go against you when you’re down there, but that’s a disgusting way of looking at it. You should have a consistency of professionalism regardless.

“I never question anyone’s integrity, but I can’t explain that decision.

“We’ve had a number of similar decisions and apology letters, but I have no interest in that. You can’t get those decisions wrong.”

Asked if he would report the match officials, Richardson said: “What? And get another apology letter?”

Richardson’s opposing number Carlos Corberan, who has guided West Brom into fifth and nine points clear of the chasing pack with four matches left to play, said he had not seen a replay of the incident.

“I didn’t see the action back,” he said.

“I knew from the level of the protests from the players and the staff, I understood that there was no doubt that it was the wrong decision. In these situations, you always want fair decisions.

“Later in the game there was another decision, maybe a foul on Asante inside the box, that the referee didn’t whistle.

“If the referee did something wrong, he can, let’s say, compensate for this, but during the year, unfortunately the referees haven’t had the support to guarantee the right or wrong decisions. Live, they need to make quick decisions.

“Sometimes they make mistakes because everyone does. It happens in your favour sometimes, sometimes not. We have, this year, received a lot of wrong decisions against us, which we don’t want in the same way we don’t want any type of advantage in the decision.

“If the action wasn’t a penalty, it’s a pity, but hopefully it’s a compensation of something that we have suffered from before.”

West Brom beat already-relegated Rotherham 2-0 at The Hawthorns to consolidate their place in the Championship play-offs.

Brandon Thomas-Asante and John Swift secured the win as the Baggies took full advantage of slip-ups by the chasing pack.

The major talking point came in the lead up to Swift’s goal from the penalty spot. Referee Geoff Eltringham adjudged defender Lee Peltier to have handled the ball despite clearly being outside of the penalty area.

Rotherham initially negated Albion’s efforts to make an early breakthrough. Swift had an opportunity when he met Tom Fellows’ low centre from the right but he guided his effort over the bar.

Thomas-Asante then was played in, over the top, by Swift, but the striker forced his shot wide from a tight angle.

West Brom went ahead midway through the first half. Celtic loanee Mikey Johnston sent Adam Reach racing down the left and he delivered a sharp low ball for Thomas-Asante, who could not miss from a couple of yards out.

Rotherham, having fallen behind, might have allowed the floodgates to open but they themselves began to play with more purpose.

Hakeem Odoffin sent a deep cross from the right which Cafu ambitiously met on the volley but ultimately hammered his half chance well over the bar.

West Brom doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time, however, in the most controversial of circumstances. Thomas-Asante leathered a shot from around 25 yards out which appeared goalbound, only for the ball to strike Peltier.

Referee Eltringham paused for a moment before pointing to the spot – despite Peltier appearing to be a number of yards outside of the penalty area.

The decision was greeted with disbelief by The Hawthorns and understandable bemusement by Rotherham, who had assistant head coach Rob Kelly booked for his protests. Swift duly converted to hand the hosts a half-time cushion.

Rotherham returned to the field undeterred and so easily could have pulled one back immediately when Sebastian Revan burst into the penalty area and laid the ball off for his captain Oliver Rathbone, who fizzed a shot just wide of Alex Palmer’s post.

Revan himself then tested Palmer but the Millers were grateful to their own keeper Viktor Johansson, who stopped Thomas-Asante adding to West Brom’s tally after he was superbly played in by Johnston.

The hosts’ top scorer then blazed an effort over the bar from six yards out in what was his final act before he made way for the returning Josh Maja in the closing stages.

Rotherham boss Matt Taylor said even a fire alarm after his side’s 2-0 win at the New York Stadium over Coventry could not dampen the mood.

The Millers registered just their second victory of the season as second-half goals from Lee Peltier and Ollie Rathbone secured a vital three points.

But there was drama at the end as a small fire in the East Stand of the New York Stadium led to an evacuation, with fans in the hospitality areas and members of the press forced to gather outside.

Taylor revealed his players were also initially asked to leave, but were eventually allowed to stay in the dressing room once the situation was contained.

The boss said: “It was a strange course of events at the end. You know Rotherham United, nothing ever is straightforward, being told that we had to leave the stadium on a high.

“We were on our way out and then told to get come back in. The truth of the matter is that not many players left the dressing room.

“There was a bit of confusion so if this happens again, we have to do better.

“I don’t think anyone is surprised with what happened. Things don’t surprise us here.

“Hopefully that doesn’t take anything away from the win.

“My main message after the game was that I have stood there hurt and they have listened to me being hurt enough times to make sure we enjoy these moments. That was a big three points.”

Coventry boss Mark Robins said he has not felt as disappointed over a defeat for some time.

The Sky Blues had several opportunities to both take the lead and then draw level, but could not find a way past Millers goalkeeper Viktor Johansson.

“It was disappointing, I can’t remember being as disappointed for a long time,” Robins said.

“I don’t think we have done enough any way. We were in control in the first half, but we were missing 10 per cent and were sloppy. But we created some decent opportunities, the keeper has made some good saves.

“This is what happens in Championship football. Unless you can muster more intent and more energy to go and make it happen you get hurt. What we did was the opposite.

“Despite all those things I have spoken about, we still had enough chances to win the game.

“I think we got what we deserved in the end. We have lost because we have not made the most of the opportunities. We have given them hope and they took their opportunities.

“If you’re a little bit off it you get punished.”

A fine second-half performance saw Rotherham earn just their second victory of the Championship season as they beat Coventry 2-0.

Lee Peltier glanced in shortly after the interval and then Ollie Rathbone lashed home in stoppage time to give the depleted Millers’ season a much-needed shot in the arm.

This was one of their best performances of the campaign and it sees them cut the gap to safety to five points with a game in hand.

Coventry had chances to get back into the game when they were trailing 1-0, but their inconsistent start to the season continues.

The Sky Blues made an assured start and almost took a 13th-minute lead when Kyle McFadzean found Ellis Simms in space 12 yards out, but his instinctive first-time shot was well saved by Sweden goalkeeper Viktor Johansson.

The Millers settled down and also had a fine chance to go ahead seven minutes later.

Cafu played Jordan Hugill in down the left and his cross was perfect for Fred Onyedinma at the near post and the net seemed destined to bulge, but the on-loan Luton man planted his header wide.

Neither side could get a grip on the match as promising positions for both were let down by poor final passes.

The second half immediately brought more entertainment as the Millers went ahead in the 51st minute.

Cafu whipped in a delicious corner to the near post and Peltier sent a glancing header into the far corner.

Coventry’s response was strong and they created a raft of chances to equalise.

Simms had a fine double opportunity as he met Jay Dasilva’s cross with a powering head that saw Johansson pull off a miraculous one-handed save, with the Everton loanee firing the rebound into the side netting.

Ben Sheaf then forced Johansson into another save with a shot from distance before Matt Godden could not make sufficient contact with a cross when the goal was gaping.

The game was suddenly alive and Rotherham had two great chances of their own to extend their lead.

First, Seb Revan’s cross fell to Rathbone and he looked primed to score but Ben Wilson got down to make a fine stop and then Hugill sent a header against the post from Dexter Lembikisa’s cross.

The Millers kept on pushing as Christ Tiehi sent a looping header just wide, Onyedinma shot straight at Wilson when through on goal and then the Sky Blues goalkeeper made a flying save to keep out Rathbone’s vicious strike.

Milan van Ewijk had a shot blocked and then Tatsuhiro Sakamoto put a glancing header inches wide as Coventry pushed for an equaliser.

But Rotherham deservedly made the game safe in the third minute of added time when Rathbone lashed home Georgie Kelly’s knockdown.