James Morrison admits cruel late blow 'feels like defeat' but sends deflated West Brom bullish message
Relegation-battling Albion boss James Morrison remained upbeat despite Southampton's late equaliser as he declared "play like that and we will be OK".
The Baggies were left gut-wrenched in the closing stages at The Hawthorns as Saints forward Cyle Larin looped in a 91st-minute header to deny Jayson Molumby what looked set to be a winner converted on the stroke of half-time.
It would have been a first league success of 2026 but the instead left the hosts 13 attempts without victory and second-bottom of the tight Championship standings.
There were further clear signs of improvement under Morrison, in the third game of this spell in charge, but once again the lowly Baggies threw away points late on when victories are desperately needed. The head coach put on a brave face despite admitting "mixed emotions" but delivered one clear message.
"It feels like a defeat but I've got to be upbeat and I've got to look at the positives," Morrison told the Express & Star.
"I've said to the lads that's the performance that's required from now to the end of the season and I think if we keep that level, we'll be OK."
He said: "It's mixed emotions, obviously gutted to concede late because I thought the lads were excellent. We had to respect a good team so we had to do it in a way that we had to be solid and at the right times, try and play to our front players and break from there and get the balls in the box.
