GARY O’Neil insisted Cherries produced an “incredible” performance against Leeds United, but says defensive lapses meant “the hard work goes down the drain”.

Cherries had produced a superb display for the opening hour at Elland Road, leading 3-1 through brilliant goals from Marcus Tavernier, Philip Billing and Dominic Solanke.

It could have been even better for Cherries, who saw a Jefferson Lerma header cleared off the line, before Kieffer Moore scuffed a golden chance when unmarked in the box.

But Jesse Marsch’s Whites stormed back, netting three times in the final half an hour to win 4-3 and leave Cherries on the end of a fourth consecutive defeat.

They now sit 17th in the Premier League table, just one point outside the relegation zone.

Discussing his side’s performance, interim head coach O’Neil said: “It’s really hard because I don’t want to sound like I’m just sat here giving you the positives, but they (his players) were incredible for such a long spell.

“They didn’t cause us any problems. We should be 4-1 up at half-time, two huge moments, and just don’t defend basic situations well enough.

“Then the rest of the hard work goes down the drain, unfortunately.

“I’m absolutely devastated for the lads, because they put in so much.

“It’s just so disappointing for them that they allow those situations to occur and they come away from Elland Road with nothing, when that is definitely not what they deserved.

“But on the flip side of that, I use the word deserved, if you defend those situations the way we did in a Premier League game, you’re going to get punished. And we have, two weeks on the trot.

“We have to improve those.”

Cherries return to action on Tuesday night, hosting Everton in the Carabao Cup.

They then face the same opponents at Vitality Stadium on Saturday in the Premier League, before a six-week break for the World Cup.