Ten-man City were well beaten at The Hawthorns but there was a contentious refereeing decision in the first half
Barry Cooper Hull City correspondent
12:00, 16 Mar 2026Updated 12:09, 16 Mar 2026
Charlie Hughes was sent off at West Brom on Saturday(Image: Stuart Leggett/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Dermot Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd disagreed over Charlie Hughes’ sending off during Hull City‘s 3-0 defeat at struggling West Brom on Saturday.
Hughes was dismissed 36 minutes in by referee Josh Smith for a last-man foul on Jed Wallace, with the Tigers already a goal down to Josh Maja’s strike.
The City defender was on the right side outside the box when he got himself in bother and dragged Wallace back, before the ball went through to goalkeeper Ivor Pandur.
Referee Smith wasted no time in giving Hughes a straight red, which was City’s first of the season, and left them with 10 men for the next hour or so.
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City head coach Sergej Jakirovic said after the game that the club were considering appealing Hughes’ sending off, which sees him currently set to miss Saturday’s Yorkshire derby with Sheffield Wednesday.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch programme, ex-Premier League official Gallagher felt the decision to send Hughes off was correct, while former Cardiff City striker Bothroyd argued it should have only been a yellow, owing to where the incident took place.
“This is almost a panic challenge, isn’t it? He’s tried to dribble out, he’s lost the ball, and his first reaction is, I’ve got to stop him,” Gallagher said on Sky Sports.
“He loses the ball here. Once you lose the ball, you’re like I’ve got to stop him, brings him down. I think it’s always gonna be a red card then because a player is gonna go directly at goal with the ball.
“I just think once he’s in that position, he’s gonna get sent off, and I also think he expects to be sent off because of where it is, but you pay your money, take your chance, don’t you?”, the ex-referee added.
“Do you know, Dermot, I don’t think that’s an obvious goal scoring opportunity because of where he (Wallace) is when he collects that ball, it’s really acute. I think what he would be doing is passing that, not shooting.”
What did you think about the decision? Have your say in the comments below…
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