ALAN Pardew was left to reflect on a "galling" defeat at Vitality Stadium as West Brom plunged closer to the relegation trapdoor.

Bottom-of-the-table Baggies surrendered the lead and were condemned to a seventh successive league reverse which left them 10 points adrift of safety.

Pardew said: "It was tough for us, tough for my players in particular because, in terms of the game plan and delivering it, I couldn't really ask for any more.

"We got ourselves in a great position, made a couple of errors and got punished for it. That's the story of our season a little but it was galling because without it being our last chance, it's getting near last chance saloon.

"We needed to get something. It was such a galling way to end the game."

Pardew has now lost 11 of his 17 league games in charge of West Brom since replacing ex-Cherries boss Tony Pulis in November.

Asked if the 10-point deficit was too much to overturn with just seven games remaining, he replied: "If you look at our record since the start of the year, then you would have to say yes.

"Of course, we have to keep battling.

"I think anybody who was here, even our harshest critic, would say that there was good belief in the team to try and get a victory.

"That performance could easily have been a win. Unfortunately, for us it wasn't."