West Brom vs Bournemouth match report: Nine-man Baggies lose their heads as Cherries reel off three wins on the bounce

West Brom 1 Bournemouth 2

James McClean is sent-off for West Brom (Getty Images)

Two red cards and a controversial penalty dampened Albion’s festive spirits as Bournemouth enjoyed a third straight Premier League win. Eddie Howe’s team were dominating possession when James McClean was shown a straight red card for a retaliatory foul after 34 minutes, a moment of stupidity by the Irishman.

McClean’s reckless shin-high lunge on Adam Smith came moments after a challenge by Smith on McClean had gone unpunished. Pulis described McClean as “not the sharpest tool in the box” after his provocative clenched fist gesture to Sunderland fans after Albion’s win over his former club in October and is unlikely to revise his opinion.

Bournemouth went ahead seven minutes into the second half when Smith cut inside from the right after taking a pass from Andrew Surman and beat Boaz Myhill with a left-foot shot from the edge of the box. Albion mounted a determined response, despite several players labouring with a sickness bug, and drew level with 11 minutes to go when Gareth McAuley headed home a Craig Gardner corner.

But they were punished three minutes from time when Mike Dean awarded a penalty against captain Darren Fletcher for a foul on Dan Gosling when initial contact was outside the box. Charlie Daniels converted the kick.

Albion striker Salomon Rondon was sent off in stoppage time for headbutting Gosling. Pulis, who left the field with a face like thunder, said: “It was a reckless challenge by McClean. “Smith catches him on the ankle first but you can’t condone his actions.

“What Rondon did was crazy, absolutely stupid. But the players were distraught after the penalty was given. You can’t give big decisions like that if you are not 100 per cent sure and everyone could see it was outside the box.”

West Bromwich Albion: (4-1-4-1) Myhill; Dawson, McAuley, Olsson, Brunt (Lambert, 74); Evans; Gardner, Fletcher (Berahino, 90), Morrison (Sessègnon, h-t), McClean; Rondon.

Bournemouth: (4-5-1) Boruc; Smith, Francis, Cook, Daniels; Ritchie, Arter (Rantie, 82), Surman, Gosling, Stanislas (Pugh, 70); Murray (Kermorgant, 76).

Referee: Mike Dean.

Man of the match: Surman (Bournemouth)

Match rating: 6/10