ALAN Pardew described Albion's sickening 2-1 defeat at AFC Bournemouth as a "heartbreaking" day for everyone at the Club.
The Baggies saw a deserved one-goal lead provided by Jay Rodriguez overturned by two late long-range efforts from Jordon Ibe and Junior Stanislas, the second an 89th-minute free-kick, to ruin an otherwise strong display from the visitors.
"It's really difficult to take," said the Baggies Head Coach.
"It's heartbreaking for everyone - the fans, the staff and particularly the players, who did not deserve that.
"The gameplan and the execution of the gameplan I could have no complaints about.
"It's very difficult to talk to the players after an effort like that - their application and their fight was commendable.
"They did not deserve that outcome, they really didn't."
To rub salt into Albion's wounds they were denied a point in the last seconds of the game when Matt Phillips' close-range header was cleared off the line at the Vitality Stadium.
Pardew said the loss of captain Jonny Evans just seconds before Bournemouth's 77th-minute equaliser had unsettled the Baggies at a critical moment.
"We did not expect to lose Jonny but he has been ill and his levels must have been down because he was cramping up and struggling to run," Pardew added.
"That came just before Bournemouth's first goal and certainly didn't help us.
"Without that I think we would have gone on to win the game.
"But it's the sort of thing that happens to you when you're in our position."