A rousing second-half display couldn't prevent Albion's under-23s suffering their first Premier League Cup defeat of the season on a wet and windy evening at Bournemouth.
It was the young Baggies who made the better start in torrential conditions at the Vitality Stadium, and they went ahead inside nine minutes as Callum Morton tucked home the rebound after Jonathan Leko's poke had initially been saved.
But Bournemouth got themselves back in the game just before the half-hour mark thanks to Gavin Kilkenny's zipped effort into the bottom right corner.
And The Cherries then went in front on 40 minutes as Charlie Seaman smashed a free-kick off the crossbar and into the back of the net.
After the break Albion threw everything at the home side, going particularly close to finding an equaliser when Leko let fly from range, only for his deflected shot to crash against the crossbar.
Kyle Howkins and goalscorer Morton both had opportunities to equalise as Jamie Smith's side poured further and further forward late into the game, but in the end Bournemouth held on to claim the three points and go top of PL Cup Group C.
ALBION: Palmer, Ferguson, Howkins, Healy; Clayton-Phillips, Meredith, Azaz (Ashton 86), Harmon; Edwards (Tulloch 84), Morton, Leko.
Substitutes: Keranovic, Brown, Soule.