Carlos Corberan striving for West Brom perfection

The Spaniard saw his side fall to a cruel 2-1 defeat at St Mary’s in which Albion dominated the second half but fell to Adam Armstrong’s winner 11 minutes from time.

Most onlookers of a Baggies persuasion remarked on one of the brightest performances in defeat in recent Albion memory, leaving a feeling of optimism at full-time.

But Corberan acknowledged that while a point was the least his side deserved, an expensively-assembled and fancied in-form Saints showed Albion perfection is needed.

“I am clear and conscious about how we did very good things because I don’t have this frustration,” said Corberan. “A frustration would be after watching the team doing things to deserve something else.

“But... like I told you my mind now – just challenges me to find the perfection.

“That is football, and in football I know to achieve perfection is not easy, but when you play against teams with this level of players, if you don’t achieve (perfection) then it is difficult to win.”

Kyle Bartley bundled Albion a deserved equaliser after the hour and the visitors looked most likely for a winner. Asked about positives in going toe-to-toe with Russell Martin’s men, Corberan added: “Yes, I have a full confidence in my players and my team.

“When I see them competing with the level of commitment, aggressiveness and quality... because for me maybe today has been the game with the most personality when playing away against an aggressive team.

“We find a way not just to break the press, but to create things. But in the last control, the last header, the last action, the transition where we had some very good possibilities, we didn’t find the speed, control, finishing, heading that would’ve given us something else.”

Brandon Thomas-Asante, on a couple of occasions, and Matt Phillips went closest for Albion on an afternoon the best part of 3,000 travelling Baggies applauded their side’s efforts at full-time.

Albion dropped a place to seventh, only out of of the play-off places by a single goal on goal difference, for the international break.