West Brom manager Tony Pulis backs Ben Foster after costly error against Aston Villa

West Brom manager Tony Pulis defended goalkeeper Ben Foster after his late error cost the Baggies a draw against Aston Villa.

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With the game level at 1-1 in injury-time, Foster fumbled the ball and then brought down Matthew Lowton in the area as he tried to recover.

The referee pointed to the spot and Christian Benteke dispatched the penalty to secure a 2-1 win for Villa.

“I haven't seen it but Ben should catch it anyway,” said Pulis. “He has been fantastic for us all season, he has won us games and he has had an off night, but there'll be no one here who will criticise him.

"I don't have to speak him, he knows. We'll dust ourselves off and get going on Thursday."

Villa took the lead through Gabriel Agbonlahor in the first half but Saido Berahino equalised for the Baggies after the break.

“Villa were better than us in the first half,” said Pulis. “They were quicker, kept the ball better and we wanted half-time. The second half was a different game."

Pulis also played down Alan Hutton's challenge on Berahino which saw the pair square up to each other late in the game.

"I haven't seen the Hutton challenge," he said. "There has been a lot of criticism thrown at referees recently but I'm not going to go there. I'll let other people decide what they thought about it.”