Eddie Howe admitted Bournemouth "fell apart a little bit mentally" after being denied an equaliser and simultaneously having a penalty awarded against them by VAR in their 3-0 loss to Burnley.

The Cherries saw Joshua King's first half effort chalked off after a suspected handball against Philip Billing after the ball came off his shoulder, before Matej Vydra scored following the break to give the hosts the advantage.

Harry Wilson's equaliser after a counter attack was then ruled out by VAR and a penalty to Burnley awarded for Adam Smith's handball which Jay Rodriguez converted, while Dwight McNeil added a sublime third before full-time.

"I think it's so difficult for the players today. It was too much in the latter stage of the game once the VAR decision, the second one happened, I thought we fell apart a little bit mentally and then Burnley came into the game," Howe said.

"But I think up until that point, we'd been the better team and the difference of 1-1 and 2-0 is huge and I just don't think we recovered from that moment.

"I think if that (the first VAR decision) one doesn't get given, I don't think the second one gets given either, because is that a clear and obvious error from Mike Dean? I'm not sure it is - it's so grey. Who knows where that hit, only Adam Smith knows.

"The only positive I can give is we have to look at this as extra fuel, extra motivation that things can be perceived to be going against you, but we have to use it to create a siege mentality, to create a mentality that is everyone against us in our pursuit to stay in the division."