WEST Brom defender Gareth McAuley claims referee Jon Moss came up with "three different excuses" for turning down a penalty appeal against Ashley Williams last weekend.

The Baggies were unfortunate not to get a first-half spot-kick in Swansea City's 2-1 Hawthorns triumph when Williams blocked McAuley's header with a raised arm.

"I thought it was going in and the next thing I knew it was going wide and had come off a hand," McAuley said.

"The first thing the referee said was that it was a poor header — but he used another word.

"Next he said 'I didn't see the handball' and the third thing he said is that it was too close to him to do anything.

"I'm not crying about it, but decisions like that change games."

Williams did not have time to handle the McAuley header deliberately, but he was lucky given that his arm was above his head.