Glenn Murray is Albion’s most prolific goal-getter of modern times and his fans are cock-a-hoop about it.

They came up with a new song in time for the game against Burnley.

“Glenn Murray, he scores with his c…” they chorused in humorous homage to the goal he bundled home, it seemed, with a sensitive area at West Brom.

But it was all rather more serious as he spoke in the aftermath of this home defeat.

Murray hit the target again - with his assessment of where Saturday’s events leave Abion.

He said decisions such as to miss Jeff Hendrick’s clear handball can be season-defining.

Well, if the few seconds which saw a potential 1-2 become 0-3 in a six-pointer just above the drop zone end up defining Albion’s season, it might be very bad news.

The sort of news that does not bear dwelling on right now.

Let’s make one thing very clear. Murray was not talking in terms of relegation or raising the white flag as he spoke to The Argus after the 3-1 defeat. Quite the opposite.

He said such moments “can be” season defining. Not “are always” or “have to be” or even “tend to be”, just “can be”.

The striker was talking in terms of facing up to the situation into which Albion have slipped and of getting out of it.

The Argus:

He was stressing that officials have to get things right.

The man who gestured to fans to keep calm during the promotion push will be similarly level-headed in this current situation.

But there was an unpleasant atmosphere developing around the Amex towards the end of a long afternoon and evening when a combination of factors and familiar faces came back to haunt Albion.

Negativity towards the home team was diffused somewhat by the penalty controversy and by the fact they pulled a goal back.

But concern about losing that treasured Premier League status has not been this high since defeat at Leicester at the very start of last season, when it briefly felt like Albion might be out of their depth.

And Murray is right. Afternoons like Saturday and minutes like that of the two penalty decisions can be pivotal.

He told The Argus: “It’s hard to reflect on it immediately but it’s obviously not good enough, to be losing 3-0 at home.

“I felt as though we came up against another inspired goalkeeper in the first half (following Watford’s Ben Foster the previous week) and he kept them in the game.

“From that point, they probably went from strength to strength.

“And then, obviously, in the second half it is a huge decision by the referee and linesman.

“They can be season-defining moments.

“If you get the opportunity to get back into the game and change the momentum, like we learned at Fulham once they got that first goal, the whole momentum of the game changed.

“They had the impetus and went on to win the game.

“You just never know from a huge call like that, not giving the penalty.

“And then going up the other end and giving one was rubbing salt into the wound.”

Ashley Barnes tucking away the spot kick to add to a Chris Wood double was the final straw of an afternoon which had you wondering “how did it come to this?” as the buffer to 18th place was eroded.

Albion should not be where they are now, perched above the drop zone as they start 17 days without a chance to add to their points tally.

The presence of Sean Dyche and his men at the Amex offered a reminder of one missed chance.

That was when the Seagulls visited a Clarets side at a low ebb two months ago, conceded a horrible goal and missed a great late chance to level.

It was a desperate afternoon but one which was possible to brush off given Albion had taken six points already that week, including a win over Crystal Palace, and looked comfortable in the table.

Then there was Sol Bamba scoring for Cardiff in the result which really put the cat among the pigeons on Saturday, their 2-1 win at Southampton.

The same Sol Bamba as scored an (offside) winner in another game the Seagulls should have had under control, at Cardiff in November.

In a game for which he had been suspended. Wilf Zaha hit the equaliser against West Ham which nudged Palace above Albion.

Zaha’s ban was conveniently delayed until FA Cup weekend after he lodged an appeal.

It suddenly felt a bit colder at the Amex as dusk fell and those results came in.

Maybe some of us got carried away, thinking of finishing in the top ten or at least a best-ever 12th place.

Of having the league all under control and being one of those sides who can look to the FA Cup for excitement or drama.

Chris Hughton has known better than that all along.

Even Martin Montoya, whose career has taken him to renowned relegation scrappers like Barcelona, Valencia and Internazionale, knew it as he braced himself warily for his first English winter.

“I’m realistic, it’s about staying up,” was his response when asked about chasing a best-ever 12th place recently.

As Hughton’s men walked out for kick-off on Saturday, they knew the net had started to tighten.

Murray said: “With it being a 5.30 kick-off, we were aware of results away from here.

“But that doesn’t really change anything.

“It is still in our own hands, our destiny.”

And there were promising signs at the start.

The team looked up for it, the crowd sounded up for it.

Yes, Burnley won a very early corner and had that double crossbar strike.

But Albion pushed forward, stretched play wide and had chances.

Solly March looked like he had the beating of his man until he picked up a knock.

The crowd bought into it and the noise was decent.

Murray said: “The plan was to play our usual game and impose ourselves on Burnley.

“We know what they do and they do it very well.

“As the game went on, they imposed their game on us.”

Indeed they did and a few things went their way.

It all caught up with Albion.

The failure to take chances against Watford a week earlier and move away from danger caught up with them.

Being taken to an FA Cup replay, which ultimately cost them the services of Florin Andone, caught up with them.

Without Andone on the bench, the home team looked short of attacking options.

Meanwhile, their opponents were able to allow Peter Crouch to enjoy the comfy seats and ample legroom of the Amex for the whole game.

Most crucially, Burnley caught up with them – on 27 points, three clear of the dotted line.

To borrow Murray’s word, tough afternoons like this can also be season-defining. And that, as he implied, can be in a negative sense.

Or it can be as something to focus minds, a wake-up call, a darkest moment before the new dawn.

Albion and their fans probably felt like they had been kicked where it hurts on Saturday night.

And no one was in the mood to sing about that.