West Brom boss Ryan Mason cut a frustrated figure after watching his side throw away three points in agonising fashion against Leicester City at the Hawthorns.
A late own goal from Nat Phillips handed the Foxes an unexpected 1-1 draw, leaving Mason lamenting missed chances and warning his players about the cost of their profligacy.
Samuel Iling-Junior had given the Baggies the perfect start with a dazzling solo strike in the 10th minute, lighting up the night with his first goal for the club. West Brom looked set to halt their run of back-to-back defeats, controlling large spells of the match and limiting Leicester to few meaningful opportunities.
But the failure to kill the game came back to haunt them. Substitute Josh Maja twice had golden chances to double the lead, most notably when he blazed over the bar from close range in the 90th minute. Moments later, Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s speculative effort struck Phillips’ knee and deflected cruelly past goalkeeper Alex Palmer to level the score deep into stoppage time.
Mason didn’t hide his disappointment after the final whistle, urging his squad to feel the sting of letting victory slip away and hinting that Marti Cifuentes’ Foxes had been fortunate to leave with a point.
“I want everyone inside the club to be hurting too because we want to win – 1-0 is a dangerous scoreline and when you create good opportunities and don’t put the game to bed, you run the risk of allowing the opposition in,” Mason said.
The West Brom manager admitted he chose not to immediately address his players in the dressing room, preferring to let the frustration sink in overnight. “It’s hard to accept. When you play a game like that and deserve so much more but don’t come away with what you deserve, it’s painful,” he added. “I’ll speak to them in the morning when the emotions have settled.”
While Leicester stretched their unbeaten run to five matches, even Cifuentes would likely concede his side escaped with a point they scarcely earned. West Brom’s intensity and creativity had them on the back foot for most of the contest, yet the Foxes capitalised on a single lapse to snatch a share of the spoils.
For Mason, the message was clear: dominating possession and creating chances count for little without the ruthlessness to finish games off. West Brom must quickly rediscover their cutting edge if they are to turn promising performances into consistent wins, starting with their next Championship clash.