AFC BOURNEMOUTH head coach Andoni Iraola described his side’s defeat to Aston Villa as a game of “two different halves”.

Cherries had taken a first-half lead through Dominic Solanke’s penalty, but headed into the break at level pegging following Morgan Rogers’ equaliser.

Villa showed their quality in the second period, taking the lead through Moussa Diaby before stretching it further via Leon Bailey.

In a relatively even first 45 minutes Cherries were dealing with their hosts’ threat on the counter – that was until stoppage time, where AFC Bournemouth were caught out after an attack broke down.

The Basque head coach told the Daily Echo: “I think it was two different halves, especially for us.

“I think they (Aston Villa) kept the same level of consistency.

“I think we were better in the first half.

“We did quite well with very difficult forwards.

“I think we had our chances.

“We were transitioning really well and we were playing more or less the game we wanted, but probably the key moment is at the end of the first half.

“At the time we were winning 1-0.

“We have an attack where probably we commit too many players, we lose the ball, we don't finish well, they attack and we conceded, it’s 1-1 and the momentum of the game changes.

“Second half we were not as solid. We couldn't defend so well.

"We were having difficult, difficult scenarios for our defenders.

“One-against-one against strong opposition. We couldn't provide them the help we provided in the first half and they made the difference.”

Iraola described Rogers’ equaliser as a ‘key moment’, before going on to state that his side must deal with those scenarios in a better fashion going forward.

“Key moments of the game,” restarted the Basque.

“You are not less attacking because you don’t go and send six, seven players in a counter.

“I think we concede that goal, Adam even wants to overlap.

“I think it's Ryan who is the one who loses the ball and we get caught in a two against two, three against three situation.

“It’s the way we want to play, but there are moments where you have to read better and then take the decisions that the game requires.

“This is the moment, in these kind of high level games where we have to improve, I think.”