West Brom snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against Bournemouth as Junior Stanislas hits late winner

Bournemouth 2 West Brom 1: A superb free-kick from Stanislas ended Bournemouth's four-match winless run and left West Brom in even more trouble

Junior Stanislas scored a sublime winner (Getty)

West Bromwich Albion snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at the Vitality Stadium, and if they can lose a game after dominating as they did here, then they are surely doomed.

The joint-lowest Premier League scorers away from home at kick-off, Albion were by far the better team for most of the game and they took the lead early in the second half with Jay Rodriguez’ fifth league goal of the season. But Jordon Ibe levelled thanks to an error by goalkeeper Ben Foster and Junior Stanislas won it two minutes from time with a perfectly-flighted free kick.

Bournemouth’s first win in five Premier League games nudged them closer to safety but increased the likelihood that West Brom will be playing in the Championship next season.

Rodriguez gave West Brom the lead (Getty)

A seventh successive Premier League defeat, equalling their longest such run in the competition, leaves the Baggies well adrift at the foot of the table, ten points from 17th place with only seven games to play.

But nobody saw it coming at half-time. Disciplined and focused in the opening stages, Albion could have gone ahead when Allan Nyom crossed low from the right only to find Salomon Rondon a yard too far behind play. Bournemouth showed little purpose and a long-range shot by Charlie Daniels, on early as a substitute for the injured Simon Francis, was a rare effort at goal from the home side as West Brom did most of the attacking.

After 25 minutes, Rondon’s glancing header from Claudio Yacob’s curling cross from the left demanded a diving save from Asmir Begovic, the Bournemouth goalkeeper.

In contrast, all was frustration for Bournemouth. Their claims for a penalty when Ahmed Hegazi clipped the heel of Joshua King were waved away by referee Graham Scott, Junior Stanislas got into a promising position but fell over his own feet and it was not until around the 40th minute that they managed to mount any sustained pressure on the Albion back five.

Ibe grabbed the equaliser (Getty)

West Brom needed only three minutes of the second half to take the lead. Kieron Gibbss crossed from the left, Rondon nodded the ball back at the far post and Rodriguez held off the challenge of Steve Cook to swivel and score.

Cook nearly made amends with a shot on the turn that went over the bar but it looked as though there would be no way through until Foster’s howler with 13 minutes to go. Ibe’s shot looked too central, and although it went past a knot of players, the goalkeeper should have had it covered. Instead it bounced off the turf, off Foster’s gloves and sideways into the net

That was harsh enough on Albion but what followed was cruel. Craig Dawson fouled King and Stanislas, who had earlier gone close with two free kicks, decided to try for third time lucky. It paid off as he curled a perfectly-judged shot over the wall and in.

Even then Albion could have rescued a point. Substitute Matt Phillips headed Gibbs’ cross goalwards from only four yards but Daniels hoofed the ball off the goalline. Albion manager Alan Pardew looked crushed. His team's hopes of staying up are probably in the same sorry condition.