DEFENDER Steve Cook said Cherries could have “no excuses” following their Championship baptism of fire at Vicarage Road.

A Jekyll-and-Hyde display from the visitors saw them enjoy the better of the first half before they were ripped apart after the break.

And while Cook felt Cherries had been on the wrong end of some of referee James Adcock’s decisions, he also conceded they had been given a lesson in finishing.

Cook told the Daily Echo: “We are all very disappointed. We played very well in the first half and could have come in leading.

“But we were punished for every chance we gave away in the second and that is what this league is all about.

“It has come early in the season so we can look at it and improve. But we are going to have to learn quickly.

“As a team, we were pleased at half-time and I don’t think anybody saw coming what happened. It is a cruel league but we will pick ourselves up and go again.

“I didn’t think there was foul in the lead up to their second goal but they punished us from another set-piece. They took their chances and were outstanding in the second half.

“Maybe a few lapses in concentration from us and a few bad decisions from the referee cost us. But I am definitely not making any excuses. How can you when you lose 6-1?”

Cook, who had starred at the back during Cherries’ opening-day victory against Charlton, added: “We had the highs of beating Charlton and now we have been trounced.

“It is a massive learning curve for us but we know we have got the quality.

“We were excellent in the first half and were punished in the second. That is why Watford made the play-off final last season.

“We need to learn from it and take it onboard.

“We showed we had the quality in the first half and need to see it through the 90 minutes. We need to come to places like this and make it more difficult.”