Roy Hodgson had nothing but praise for his patched-up Albion side as they battled away but were unlucky to lose 1-0 to an in-form Tottenham side.
Jermain Defoe’s goal after the hour-mark was the difference between the two sides on a night when Albion’s injury nightmare got worse.
With Youssouf Mulumbu, Jonas Olsson, Chris Brunt, Shane Long, Zoltan Gera and Steven Reid all sidelined with respective injuries, Jerome Thomas then added to Albion’s injury misery when he limped off in the 27th minute with a groin strain.
But Albion’s battle-weary troops held firm for long periods against Spurs and almost snatched a point at the end.
"It was a good performance but we didn't get anything from the game," said Hodgson.
"So, you're back to the old conundrum of what's best - to play badly, be the luckiest team alive and sneak away with three points or a point, or give what I consider to be a good performance in relation to the players we have out at the moment and come away with nothing because Jermain Defoe got the goal he is always capable of getting?
"We've got more than 11 players at our football club and we had a lot of players out there that haven't played for a while and were very anxious to play.
"Graham Dorrans hasn't played for a long time but unfortunately for him he fell sick at the start of the week.
"That was obviously going to hamper his performance but he was still able to get out on the field - and he needed it.
"Simon Cox has been waiting a long time for a chance, as Gonzalo Jara Reyes has.
"We've had George Thorne up our sleeve for a long time while Craig Dawson has been waiting for a long time to play.
"So, basically speaking, the players are there.
"They've been kept out because the ones in the team have played well enough to keep them on the sidelines.
"Tonight, they got their chance when the others were missing and I think they acquitted themselves very well.
"I thought George was very good.
"I only took him off because we were losing 1-0 and Paul Scharner is more of a goal threat."
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Source: FOOTYMAD
