CHERRIES' are still waiting for their first win of 2017 after Eddie Howe's side went down to a 2-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion this afternoon.

Joshua King's fifth-minute penalty gave the away team the start they would have craved, only for Baggies full-back Craig Dawson to level five minutes later.

Another home defender, Gareth McAuley, pounced on an Artur Boruc error to put his team in front on 22 minutes – a lead West Brom clung on to until the death despite Howe's men laying siege to the Baggies goal in the closing stages.

Cherries had actually struggled for any any quality possession in the opening minutes – but when Marc Pugh received Jack Wilshere's cushioned pass the away team sprang into action.

Pugh promptly sprayed a pinpoint, cross-field ball into the path of Ryan Fraser, stationed on the right flank and on left-back Allan Nyom's wrong side.

Fraser's sure touch carried him into the box, where the Baggies defender's tug at the Scot's shoulder was forceful enough to drag him to the ground.

Referee Mark Clattenburg didn't hesitate in pointing to the spot, with King assuredly rolling his penalty into the right corner of goal.

A portion of The Hawthorns crowd was then fooled into thinking Chris Brunt's fizzing 25-yard strike had instantly levelled for the hosts – in reality, the Northern Ireland international's effort had crashed into the side netting.

Their tails up, Cherries' attacking work had a real purpose about it.

Adam Smith drove in from the right to let-fly with a left-footed dig that had Ben Foster at full stretch to tip over.

But, as has happened too often for Howe's liking of late, Cherries were soon conceding a goal that could be attributed, in equal measure, to their own hesitancy, some bad luck and an opposing player's willingness to be brave on the ball.

A bout of head tennis ended with Darren Fletcher steering Salomon Rondon's flick left to Nacer Chadli.

The Belgian squared for Dawson, who had a pop from distance and was rewarded for his adventure when the ball took a heavy deflection off Charlie Daniels and travelled inside Boruc's right-hand post.

The goalscorer's rather sheepish celebration was a giveaway – he knew he'd profited from a stroke of fortune.

Fraser couldn't gather Daniels' menacing left-wing cross – which reared up sharply off the greasy surface – as Cherries swiftly tried to restore their advantage.

But it would be West Brom who struck next – and, once again, Cherries contributed heavily to their own downfall.

Chadli swarmed all over Harry Arter as the midfielder tried to tame a Daniels throw-in.

Rondon was briskly on the scene to snaffle possession, scamper forward and hit a shot that was brilliantly blocked by Steve Cook.

There was still work to be done by the visitors, however, the ball being recycled to the edge of the box, where James Morrison took aim and saw his effort deflected behind.

From Brunt's resultant corner, swung in from the right, Boruc bustled his way through a crowd of bodies and attempted to punch clear.

In fact, the Cherries' 'keeper's poor connection directed the ball behind him to the waiting McAuley, who smashed home his sixth goal of the season from close range.

Cook then rode his luck when he shouldered Rondon out of a two-man chase for a through ball that consequently ran through for Boruc.

Despite suddenly finding themselves behind the eight ball Cherries showed no sign of retreating into their shell.

Indeed, Pugh had legitimate claims for a penalty when a sliding Dawson inadvertently used his hand to prevent the winger's cross from progressing into the box.

Clattenburg wasn't interested, however – and he was similarly unimpressed when Rondon then tumbled over under a challenge from Tyrone Mings as the striker hared into Cherries' area.

Replays suggested Mings, fully extended, had got a toe on the ball.

The visitors' backline was being stretched, though, Morrison in particular repeatedly seeking to run in behind Cherries' high line.

On one such occasion the midfielder was only denied a free hit at goal by his inability to control Brunt's lofted through ball.

Pugh then shot into the side netting after Fraser and Wilshere had combined to slip in the former Hereford player on the left, before a Fraser delivery was an inch in front of Wilshere, dashing into the six-yard box and desperately straining to get his head on the ball.

Boruc ensured Cherries went into the break still only one down by clawing out Jonny Evans' header from Chadli's left sided corner.

Howe's men had an altogether greater let-off shortly after the break.

Mings' sharp tackle had stopped Rondon from bursting into the box – but at the expense of a corner for the hosts.

Brunt's original set-piece was headed onto the bar by McAuley, with the ball then fed back out to the corner taker.

His wicked cross was met by Dawson, steering the ball goalwards. Baggies fans celebrated as it nestled in the back of the net.

Their joy, though, was instantly curtailed by the raised flag of a linesman who had spotted an offside Chadli stooping to apply the final touch.

To add injury to insult for the home team, Dawson had to be replaced by James McClean as a result of the almighty blow the defender had received from Mings as he connected with Brunt's delivery.

Fraser sought to capitalise on West Brom's defensive reshuffle – Brunt switched to left-back, with Nyom shifting across to the right, behind McClean.

The Cherries winger sent over one devilish cross that Pugh, sprinting in at the back-post, would have reached had he been a fraction taller than his 5ft 11in height.

Arter blasted off-target after more good work by Fraser had allowed King to provide the set-up.

And after West Brom goalkeeper Foster had needlessly taken a huge gamble by dribbling his way around substitute Benik Afobe in the box, Fraser was at it again.

McAuley was left on the deck as the ex-Aberdeen man dribbled at the heart of the hosts' backline, leaving Darren Fletcher to baulk the attacker 20 yards from goal.

Cook assumed free-kick duties but had his blast closed down by Jake Livermore.

Tony Pulis's decision to send on the defensively minded Claudio Yacob in place of Morrison with 17 minutes to play hinted at a home side ready to batten down the hatches.

And with Howe introducing Lys Mousset into the action to play alongside Afobe in an authentic strike pairing, the game inevitably became stretched.

One Daniels cross ran agonisingly behind Fraser, while Rondon was close to making contact with a McClean delivery smashed across the face of goal.

It was Rondon supplying McClean in stoppage time, the Irishman bringing a smart stop from Boruc.

King was then unable to keep his header from a Smith cross on target, before Mousset's rasping effort forced Foster to palm over.

Fraser landed the resulting corner on Andrew Surman's head but the midfielder's glancing effort drifted beyond the far post.

And still Cherries kept coming.

McClean's clumsy tackle upended Daniels, enabling Fraser to swing in a free-kick from the left.

Mings' contact on the delivery was accurate and true. But Foster, once more, was equal to it, flying away to his right to push the ball around his post.

It was a rousing finish, albeit one that brought Howe's side no reward.

And when Cherries' players took their bow in front of the travelling fans they received an equally rousing reception.

They will need that support, with the battle at the bottom end of the Premier League becoming more intense by the week.

West Bromwich (4-4-1-1): Foster; Dawson (McClean, 54), McAuley, Evans, Nyom; Brunt, Livermore, Morrison (Yacob, 73), Chadli (Field, 88); Fletcher; Rondon.

Unused subs: Olsson, Robson-Kanu, Leko, Myhill (g/k).

Booked: Nyom, Fletcher.

Cherries (4-4-1-1): Boruc; A Smith, Cook, Mings, Daniels; Fraser, Surman, Arter (Gosling, 66), Pugh (Mousset, 79); Wilshere (Afobe, 66); King.

Unused subs: B Smith, Stanislas, Gradel, Allsop (g/k).

Referee: Mark Clattenburg (County Durham).

Attendance: 24,162 (1,656 away fans).