JIMMY Floyd Hasselbaink said today’s 1-0 defeat to Charlton was a game of fine margins that didn’t go his team’s way.
With Albion’s Deji Oshilaja and Charlton’s Jayden Stockley red carded after 18 minutes, the Brewers conceded the only goal of the game straight after and then struggled to breakdown the visitors’ stubborn defence.
Hasselbaink said: “We lost a defender, and they lost an attacker, so it was easier for them as they didn’t have to change things.
“Deji says he was hit and that he didn’t retaliate, and I believe him. I can’t comment as I couldn’t see it, but I trust my player.”
The Brewers had already lost Cameron Borthwick-Jackson to injury with fortune not favouring the Brewers.
Hasselbaink said: “He had a cut and I weas forced to make the decision as it was taking too long. Normally I would have wanted to keep him on and later we would then have been able to put another striker on.”
The Brewers looked like they might have earned a penalty when Kane Hemmings rounded the keeper and went to ground but the referee booked the Albion player for diving.
Hasselbaink said: “Kane said he was touched by their keeper, but the referee says he dived. We are not having much luck with these at the moment. We have to keep on going, keep on fighting and hopefully that will change.
“But it was game of small margins. If you look at Charlton, they didn’t give us many problems and in the second half it was all us.
“We were very disappointed to concede the goal as well. It was our first one from a corner and normally we defend them really well.
“But we didn’t create enough, we didn’t do enough with the possession we had.”