Albion 1, Everton 1

Albion are entitled to feel the rub of the green is going against them so far in the Premier League.

First it was Tomer Hemed, banned for treading on Newcastle defender DeAndre Yedlin, deliberately according to an FA panel.

The Israeli striker, sitting out the second of a three-match suspension, may well have suffered a lesser punishment, or none at all, had it not been for the live coverage on Sky and ensuing fuss.

The only live coverage this time was abroad, in India and elsewhere. Instead, it was the sharp eye of referee Michael Oliver which denied Albion a third straight home win.

Oliver spotted Bruno catching Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the neck with an elbow from a free-kick.

Wayne Rooney sent Mathew Ryan the wrong way with the 90th minute penalty to rescue Everton and, possibly, their under-pressure manager Ronald Koeman.

It could be argued justice was done. The result was about right on balance and the free-kick arose from Albion goalscorer Anthony Knockaert cynically clipping Kevin Mirallas from behind as the substitute made progress through the centre on the counter-attack.

The yellow card for the Frenchman was inevitable, the resulting punishment from Oliver and Rooney hard to take for Knockaert following his first-ever Premier League goal - and particularly tough for Bruno.

The veteran Spaniard, who was also booked, was still fuming after the final whistle. He did not appear best pleased with Knockaert sharing pleasantries with Oliver, whose decision to point to the spot highlighted the age-old frustration for managers and players of inconsistency.

Physical contact and varying degrees of skulduggery are commonplace at every set piece in the modern game. Sometimes referees see it, on many other occasions they miss it.

Bruno's angst was compounded by Oliver and his assistants rejecting a couple of penalty appeals by Albion.

On another day Lewis Dunk's angled drive in the first half, which hit Michael Keane on the chest, then arm, as he blocked it, could have been given.

The Argus: In the second half, Pascal Gross (above) was convinced Leighton Baines nudged him over in an aerial duel. One camera angle suggested the German had a case, another from behind the goal less so, which emphasises just how difficult it is for referees to get it right in real time.

It felt afterwards for manager Chris Hughton and his players like two points dropped, having led so late into the game, but the disappointment should not linger for too long.

The 13 games at the Amex, aside from the top six, are going to be significant in the quest for survival. Hughton's side now have a healthy seven points from the first three of them against West Brom, Newcastle and Everton.

This was the sternest test of that trio, in spite of what the early table suggests. Everton have too much quality in their ranks to remain in relegation trouble.

Their early control fizzled out as Albion demonstrated once more that their biggest strength is their defensive resilience.

Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk were customarily outstanding at the heart of the back four. So too behind them was Mathew Ryan, who in company with Duffy was back from an exhausting and exhilarating week helping his country within a play-off of next summer's World Cup finals in Russia.

Duffy, a rock both for the Republic of Ireland against Wales and against his first club Everton, was forced off with 15 minutes left by a minor groin injury.

Influential as he has been, Albion need not take any risks with Duffy at this stage of the season. They have his replacement, Uwe Huenemeier, and Connor Goldson in reserve, while West Ham do not have the aerial threat of Andy Carroll on Friday after his red card at Burnley.

Ryan (below), meanwhile, after travelling over 30,000 miles for Australia, continued his fine run of form.

The Argus: He dived to his right to keep out Idrissa Gueye's first half shot, and again acrobatically early in the second half from an effort from closer range and struck with more ferocity by Mason Holgate.

Ryan reserved his best until last, depriving Mirallas both from his own shot and then when the ball rebounded goalwards off the Belgian via Dunk in the same incident.

Imagine how much more painful it would have been if Albion had lost and dropped to 17th rather than remaining 14th, still above Everton on goal difference.

Moving up to tenth beckoned when the increasing threat from the Seagulls as the second half wore on was rewarded.

The overlapping Bruno got the better of Calvert-Lewin to set up Jose Izquierdo for a shot which Keane blocked. Morgan Schneiderlin should have completed the clearance, but he was too slow to react and Gross fed Knockaert to drill past Jordan Pickford.

Izquierdo made an impact when he came on. The Colombian signing forced Pickford into his first serious save before Knockaert's goal, then combined with Izzy Brown for his fellow substitute to test Pickford again.

Albion would have been 2-0 up and home and dry. Minutes later, Oliver walked off to boos reserved previously throughout the afternoon for Rooney.

That rub of the green needs rebalancing, especially as Yedlin - Hemed's 'victim' - somehow escaped a blatant second yellow card from Kevin Friend in Newcastle's subsequent draw at Southampton.