Five Sunderland v West Bromwich Albion classic matches: Two games in 24 hours and a step towards a runaway promotion

Two games in 24 hours, a step towards a runaway promotion and a key moment in a Premier League great escape.
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Sunderland go into their Championship clash with West Bromwich Albion on Monday armed with memories of some dramatic – and, looking back, bizarre – home victories over the Baggies.

Here, we look at five of the Black Cats’ best days on home soil.

Sunderland 4-0 West Bromwich Albion – Premier League - December 13, 2008

Sunderland supporters.Sunderland supporters.
Sunderland supporters.
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Over the early festive period, it was all but merry for the Sunderland faithful as their team sat harrowingly over the trapdoor to the Championship.

But the demolition of a Baggies team managed by (whisper it) a certain Tony Mowbray proved the catalyst for a survival push in the second half of the season.

A quickfire double from Kenwyne Jones put the Black Cats in the driving seat, before little Andy Reid headed home Steed Malbranque’s cross to make it 3-0 just before half-time.

Then Djibril Cisse converted a penalty almost straight after the interval, and the Black Cats missed numerous other chances, as bottom-of-the-table West Brom capitulated and caretaker home manager Ricky Sbragia earned his first win in charge.

Sunderland 2-0 West Bromwich Albion – Premier League - May 7, 2014

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Gus Poyet was the toast of Wearside after Sunderland completed the first of several successive relegation great escapes.

First-half goals from Jack Colback and Fabio Borini earned the Black Cats a fourth straight Premier League win to guarantee survival and send Norwich City down.

Colback stabbed home from close range and Borini hooked home a smart finish, with the Baggies failing to make Sunderland pay for a string of missed second-half chances.

And so, a month after saying it would be “a miracle” if Sunderland stayed up, Poyet’s name entered Wearside history.

Sunderland 3-0 West Bromwich Albion – Division One - April 3, 1999

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Peter Reid’s rampant Black Cats moved within a couple of wins of promotion to the Premier League and made it 10 games without defeat with an emphatic victory.

Over 41,000 were at the Stadium of Light as Kevin Phillips’ 15th league goal of the season and Lee Clark’s strike – only his second of the campaign – put Sunderland in control at half-time.

And Phillips added a third just after half-time to settle any lingering nerves against a Baggies side including Kevin Kilbane and some bloke called Graham Potter.

The victory put Sunderland 12 points clear at the top of the Championship with just seven games of the season remaining.

Sunderland 2-2 West Bromwich Albion – Premier League - October 1, 2011

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When Shane Long fired home to add to James Morrison’s early header to put West Brom 2-0 up within five minutes, “Bruce Out” chants could be heard at the Stadium of Light.

But future Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce found salvation in two equally quickfire goals from Nicklas Bendtner and Ahmed Elmohamady.

Bendtner’s deflected strike was his first in a red and white shirt, and he then turned provider with a cross for Elmohamady’s headed equaliser.

From 2-2 after 25 minutes, the game calmed down. But Sunderland had chances to win, and Bruce had some breathing space.

Sunderland AFC 3-0 West Bromwich Albion – Division One - December 27, 1983

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A second clean sheet in two days and a handsome win gave Wearside fans a late Christmas present of four points.

Just 24 hours – yes, really – after grinding out a goalless draw at Everton, Paul Bracewell’s brace and Pop Robson’s opener put a near-18,000 home crowd in the festive spirit.

Sunderland were 2-0 up after 15 minutes, and looked to have settled for that until Bracewell added a third, four minutes from time, to keep his side solidly placed in mid table.

Black Cats boss Alan Durban made only two changes from the 11 that started the game the day before against Goodison Park, yet without any Jurgen Klopp-style fuss about fixture congestion.