Tony Mowbray’s Sunderland threw away the lead with an awful second half performance losing 2-1 to West Brom at a freezing cold SOL on Monday evening. The lads had taken the lead in the first half from a penalty won and converted by Amad Diallo. However, the visitors dominated the second period and sealed the points through strikes from Tomas Rogic and Daryl Dike.
Tony Mowbray made one change to the side that beat Millwall last Saturday with Elliot Embleton replacing Jack Clarke. Despite playing in a behind closed doors game midweek Ross Stewart didn’t make the bench after suffering a minor setback.
Sunderland got the game underway in Baltic conditions kicking towards the Roker End and Alex Pritchard tried an ambitious early effort, but his shot swerved wide. After ten minutes Sunderland worked the ball well down the left with Alese and Neil playing a nice one two before the defender saw his shot blocked. The loose ball fell to Evans who moved the ball cleverly across the box to Gooch who also saw his shot charged down.
Five minutes later the visitors almost created a scoring opportunity when Wallace whipped a cross into the danger zone towards Thomas-Asante, but Patterson was able to gather. Sunderland were then awarded a penalty when Amad got in behind the West Brom defence and was bundled over by a clumsy challenge from Townsend. Amad took the penalty and made no mistake from the spot sending the keeper the wrong way to give the lads the lead.
Sunderland almost doubled their lead a couple of minutes later through Pritchard, but he was denied by an incredible save by Palmer. Ellis Simms had flicked a cross from Amad into the path of Pritchard in the box, but Palmer charged off his line and with a strong arm turned Pritchard’s shot wide. At the other end West Brom won a free kick just outside the box, but Swift struck it over the bar.
Danny Batth was cautioned after losing possession 25 yards from goal and then hauling down Swift. The away side were after a red card claiming Batth was the last man although it looked like Evans or O’Nien could have got back to cover. Ten minutes before the break West Brom created another chance when Wallace crossed for Phillips at the far post, but Alese was able to clear his header.
Five minutes before the break Dan Neil seized a loose ball and space opened for him to shoot from the edge of the box but he dragged his shot wide. There was one minute added time signalled at the end of the half before Sunderland went in at the break with the one nil lead.
Neither side made any changes at the break and West Brom started the half brighter with Danny Batth doing well to block a shot by Thomas-Asante. The visitors then caught Sunderland with a quick counterattack when the referee waved play on after Dan Neil tumbled on the edge of the box. West Brom got the ball forward quickly with Swift finding Phillips in the box, but Patterson did well to deny him.
With just over half an hour remaining Tony Mowbray made his first change of the evening with Jack Clarke replacing Elliot Embleton. Five minutes later West Brom had another effort on goal when Townsend latched onto the ball outside the box, but he dragged his left footed effort wide of the post. A couple of minutes later Anthony Patterson was forced into a good save after Rogic shot from range. Jack Clarke was caught in possession on the left wing and Rogic’s shot from the edge of the box took a slight deflection off Evans and looked to be dipping under the bar, but Patterson tipped it over.
West Brom equalised from the resulting corner with 20 minutes remaining and to be fair the goal had been coming. Sunderland failed to clear the set piece and the ball was played to Rogic on the edge of the box who steered a brilliant finish into the bottom right-hand corner with the outside of his left foot.
Tony Mowbray then made his second change of the evening with Dan Neil replaced by Dennis Cirkin. Cirkin was soon involved in the action when he was found in space in the box after good work from Jack Clarke, but Cirkin’s cross was turned behind for a corner. Alex Pritchard delivered the cross from the right, but the visitors dealt with it.
Ten minutes before the break Sunderland had a shout for a penalty when Amad drove into the box from the right flank after nutmegging one defender. He then tumbled under a challenge in the box similar to the penalty incident in the first half but this time the ref waved play on. Predictably the visitors then went down the other end and took the lead through Daryl Dike.
Jed Wallace was afforded too much space on the right and he whipped a great ball in for Dike whose movement saw him get in between O’Nien and Batth unmarked. Dike nodded the ball into the bottom corner past a helpless Anthony Patterson.
Two minutes before the end Danny Batth went close when he glanced a corner from Patterson wide before Tony Mowbray made a triple change to try and rescue a point. On went Roberts, Dajaku and Ba for Pritchard, Ba and Simms.
There was five minutes added time but Sunderland couldn’t break down West Brom’s defence.
Final Score: Sunderland 1 West Brom 2 ALS Man of the Match: Amad Diallo
