Dwight Gayle to be banned for two matches after diving to win penalty for West Brom against Nottingham Forest
On-loan Newcastle forward earned a spot-kick, which Jay Rodriguez tucked away to earn a point
WEST BROM striker Dwight Gayle is set to be banned for two matches after being charged with conning ref Lee Mason to earn his side’s penalty equaliser against Nottingham Forest.
The on-loan Newcastle forward, 28, won a spot kick for a blatant 89th-minute swallow dive in the Forest box.
Jay Rodriguez converted to earn the Baggies a draw that left the visitors furious.
Gayle has now been charged with successful deception of the referee, which brings an automatic two-match suspension if the clear offence is admitted.
While the ace can deny the charge, a hearing will still be heard this week and he is set to miss Saturday’s derby at Aston Villa and Tuesday’s trip to QPR.
Forest boss Martin O'Neill refused to blame ref Lee Mason.
He said: "I spoke to the referee. He said it if it was a mistake, it was an honest one, and I accept that.
"It certainly looked like a dive. I've seen it back twice from a rather long lens angle, and not on TV, but everyone I have spoken to says it was a dive.
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"In this day and age, it's very difficult for a referee – harder than it's ever been.
"It would have been great to have won the game, away from home against a side looking for automatic promotion."