Video: Tony Pulis on nine-man Albion loss

West Brom boss Tony Pulis can't condone James McClean's retaliatory foul today - but he was surprised to see Salomon Rondon's head-butt at the end.

Albion had two men sent off today during their 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Bournemouth.

McClean's petulant lunge on Cherries' goalscorer Adam Smith in the first-half left the Baggies with 10 men, before Rondon's pushed his head towards Dan Gosling in injury time.

Both players will receive three-match bans for their offences, but Pulis reckons there were extenuating circumstances in each case.

He said: "The sending off is obviously a reckless challenge from McClean.

"The disappointing thing for me is that thirty seconds before, Smith goes over the top of the ball and catches McClean on his ankle.

"McClean has not let that go, he's gone after him with the next challenge, unfortunately.

"You can't condone that. Mike Dean did see the challenge, and if he gives a free-kick, and I'm not condoning it, but that doesn't happen.

"It just seemed to be one afternoon where things like that happened."

McClean's response looked to be stupid and then, right at the end, Rondon lost his head too.

But the Venezuelan had been playing brilliantly up until then, working hard up front on his own.

Only a sprawling save from goalkeeper Artur Boruc denied him a much-needed goal in the second-half.

Pulis said: "We've never had any inkling that he's had anything like that in him since he's joined. It's the first time we've seen him react like that.

"I think people get carried away with decisions at times and our lads were a little bit frustrated with some of the decisions."

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Mike Dean was booed off by the home crowd at the final whistle, and Pulis was disappointed with the referee's call to award Bournemouth a penalty three minutes before the end.

He said: "I think everybody can see it's outside the box. The real disappointing thing with that is that you can't be giving decisions like that unless you're absolutely 100 per cent sure."

Pulis reckons that decision led to Rondon's red card up the other end five minutes later.

He said: "It's crazy, absolutely stupid, but the reaction of the players when Mike gives the penalty, they were absolutely distraught.

"It's not a penalty. We've worked very hard in the second-half with 10 men.

"Really and truthfully, with Dawson's header we should be 2-1 up and I don't think Bournemouth would have any complaints at that time.

"For them then to get that penalty and get that break was disappointing to everybody.But Rondon can't do things like that."

Gareth McAuley's headed equaliser 11 minutes from time was just reward for a dogged second-half performance with 10 men. But, Albion were dire in the first-half.

Pulis admitted: "We started really flat. We had four, five players this afternoon that had been up sick during the night, the doc had them in and they had stuff for it.

"But they all wanted to play, and it looked for the first 20-25 minutes like we were carrying a sickness bug because we looked very flat, very ponderous and they were by far the better team.

"The three I brought off, they all started and came off, they wanted to have a go. After the game against Liverpool, and how well we played at Liverpool, you can't argue with that spirit."