ANDONI Iraola said Bournemouth’s defeat at the hands of Brentford was a tough one to take.

The Bees came from behind twice to beat the Cherries 3-2 at the Gtech Community Stadium, with Evanilson and Justin Kluivert getting on the scoresheet for the visitors.

But Iraola felt that his side deserved more from the game after making much the better start out of the two teams.

“It's a hard one for us because I'm quite happy with the performance really,” Iraola told the Daily Echo.

“I think we especially in the first half we were clearly the better team but it's true that we couldn't make the difference.

“You finish 1-1 [at half time] and probably the second half has had less rhythm.

“There have been a lot of things but it has been more stop and go, set plays. Probably a key moment is when we concede after the 2-1.

 

“But more or less the game has been what we expected, similar to the games Brentford has played here at home.

“The throw ins, the kickoff, you have to manage these situations and they punished us there.

“But I think our performance deserves much, much more today.”

Bournemouth made a fast start and were on top for the opening exchanges.

The Cherries deservedly opened the scoring as Evanilson latched onto a poor back pass from Sepp van den Berg, rounded the keeper and rolled the ball into an empty net.

While Brentford equalised after 27 minutes, Iraola said his side were much the better team in the first period.

(Image: PA Wire/John Walton) Bournemouth retook the lead in the second minute after the resumption, but goals from Mikkel Damsgaard and Yoane Wissa’s second of the afternoon gave Brentford the 3-2 lead.

The Cherries threw everything at getting an equaliser, and hit the bar through Dean Huijsen in stoppage time, but the Bees held on for the points.

“I think Brentford is a team that plays very well every single second, every single minute and they manage very well every situation,” Iraola said.

“I think we've started really focused, winning the second balls, playing a lot in their half and it's not easy to come here and play the way we did the first half.

“I wouldn't say 20 minutes, I would say the first half because I think overall we were having the clear chances and even in the second half probably we made mistakes after scoring and we haven't had this rhythm in the second half of playing, of having this level of football.

“But still there I think we've had the last one, the crossbar is a double header, we don't score. For me, the Evanilson one against the keeper is a clear penalty.

“We don't score but we've had the chances.”

(Image: PA Wire/John Walton) Asked if the Cherries could have shut up shop a little more after they retook the lead in the second half, Iraola said they hadn’t had the opportunity to do so.

“I think we haven't even had the chance to do this,” he said.

“I think this is straight away from the kickoff, everyone knows, they've scored a lot of goals after conceding after in the kickoffs, they go back, they go long to your left side.

“But you have to win the second ball. You have to win these rebounds.

“You have to be better than them. We weren't and they had the chance to finish.”