Derby County boss Steve McClaren has criticised referee Andrew Madley for rejecting his side's appeals for a "stonewall penalty" in the defeat to Aston Villa.

The key moment in the game arrived shortly after James Chester gave the hosts the lead at Villa Park, as former Villa striker Darren Bent went down in the box under a challenge from Nathan Baker.

McClaren claims that the Villans are not worthy of their narrow 1-0 win due to the big call going against his side, with County now winless in five Championship outings and six games overall.

"We should never have lost that game. I don't know how we did. We were so dominant from start to finish," he is quoted as saying by the Birmingham Mail. "We had enough crosses, we had enough efforts.

"They blocked so many shots. We did everything but score. Every football match hinges on decisions and it was a stonewall penalty. I've seen it, Darren Bent, he can't believe it. It's won them the game."

Derby, without a league win in 2017, remain 11th in the table ahead of their trip to Blackburn Rovers in midweek.