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| Stephane Sessegnon was one of the brighter sparks in an otherwise dull game at the Hawthorns |
Sam Allardyce’s first match as Sunderland boss was ruined by a goalkeeping clanger when this stalemate looked to be heading for a bore draw.
Costel Pantilimon flapped at a cross and dropped a routine catch that allowed Saido Berahino to tap home for Albion’s first home win this season in the league.
Sunderland complained the striker backed into the clumsy Pantilimon and obstructed him but it was the slightest of touches.
The error robbed the Black Cats of what may have been a first clean sheet in 11 games. Their search for a first league win since May goes on.
Both teams cancelled each other out for the most part and the greatest drama came after the final whistle.
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| Costel Pantilimon dropped the ball at the West Brom striker's feet |
West Brom winger James McClean, who had been lambasted by his former supporters throughout the game, teased the travelling fans with a victory fist pump.
Danny Graham took offence at the inflammatory gesture and shoved McClean and sparked a mini-ruck that might easily have exploded into a free-for-all.
Sunderland looked organised and comfortable for most of the first hour until West Brom’s goal that came from nowhere.
Allardyce’s side were the most threatening early on and came close to scoring twice in the 11th and 12th minutes.
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| Sunderland felt the goalkeeper had been fouled, but Martin Atkinson wasn't interested |
First, Steven Fletcher received a cleverly lobbed pass from Lee Cattermole and had a goal-bound shot blocked from eight yards by a desperate, lunging Jonny Evans.
Then off the resulting corner former West Brom defender Billy Jones saw his diving header saved as Boaz Myhill tipped over from close range.
Big Sam did not leave his dugout until the 34th minute such was his contentment at Sunderland’s opening half.
They weren’t exactly controlling the game but were stifling West Brom and looked good for a rare sheet.
That all changed, though, when Pantilimon made a mess of Chris Brunt’s hanging left-wing cross that allowed Berahino to open the scoring in the 54th minute.
The Romanian was given a nudge by the slightly-built Berahino just as he attempted to catch the ball but it wasn’t enough of a challenge that should have deterred his grab.
After he flapped and dropped the ball, Berahino was on hand to tap the ball into an empty net.
Sunderland’s players surrounded referee Martin Atkinson to protest about the challenge on the goalkeeper but it was to no avail.
Allardyce threw on substitute strikers Jermain Defoe and Graham late on but it was all in vain.
West Brom: Myhill 7, Dawson 6, McAuley 6, Evans 6, Brunt 6; Yacob 7, Fletcher 7; Sessegnon 8, Berahino 7 (Gardner 79th), McClean 5; Rondon 5 (Lambert 70th) 6
Sunderland: Pantilimon 5, Yedlin 6, Kaboul 6, O’Shea 6, Jones 7; Cattermole 6, M’Vila 6; Larsson 5 (Johnson 61st) 5, Gomez 6 (Defoe 71st) 6, Borini 5; Fletcher 5 (Graham 75th)
Referee: M. Atkinson
STAR MAN: Stephane Sessegnon – Hard-working, committed and one of few players to shine in a drab encounter in his first start for six months, against his old club.
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