How it played out as Sunderland squander first-half lead against West Brom at the Stadium of Light

The Black Cats looked comfortable during an impressive first-half display, with Manchester United loanee Amad giving them an early lead from the penalty spot.

Yet the visitors benefitted from a handful of substitutes after the break, with Tom Rogic and Daryl Dike coming off the bench to score.

Sunderland striker Ross Stewart wasn’t available for Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray, as the Scot continues to be carefully managed following a lengthy injury setback.

Instead Mowbray made one change to his starting XI following the side’s 3-0 win over Millwall last time out, with Elliot Embleton replacing Jack Clarke who dropped to the bench.

And while there weren’t many clear-cut chances in the opening 10 minutes, the hosts quickly picked up where they left off against The Lions.

With West Brom trying to pass out from the back, Sunderland pressed effectively and won the ball back in some dangerous areas, without really testing goalkeeper Alex Palmer.

That changed in the 17th minute when Amad played a neat one-two with Luke O’Nien and was brought down by Baggies defender Conor Townsend.

The Manchester United loanee then picked himself up and converted from the spot, sending Palmer the wrong way and making it five goals in his last seven appearances.

While West Brom did occasionally threaten with a couple of Jed Wallace crosses from the right, Sunderland were relatively comfortable for the remainder of the half, with O’Nien keeping Albion striker Brandon Thomas-Asante on the fringes.

There was a brief scare when Danny Batth hesitated in possession and was dispossessed by John Swift, before bringing down the Albion man. A yellow card was a sufficient punishment.

Sunderland came under more pressure at the start of second half as the visitors launched a quick counter attack and Patterson made a point-blank save to deny Matt Phillips.

Mowbray then looked to his bench in the 58th minute as Clarke replaced Embleton, yet the visitors continued to gain more control.

West Brom boss Carlos Corberan was also proactive by making four substitutions before the 65th minute.

Those changes quickly paid off, with Dike setting up Rogic after a cross from the right. The latter then converted with a low finish.

Sunderland rallied, with Mowbray changing the side’s shape and introducing Dennis Cirkin as a wing-back.

But, after Amad saw another penalty appeal turned down, West Brom went ahead as Wallace’s cross from the right was headed home by Dike.

The result leaves Sunderland 11th in the Championship and four points off a play-off place ahead of Saturday’s trip to Hull.

Sunderland XI: Patterson, Gooch, O’Nien, Batth (Roberts, 89), Alese, Evans, Neil (Cirkin, 74), Embleton (Clarke, 58), Pritchard (Dajaku, 89), Amad, Simms (Ba, 89)

Subs: Bass, Hume, Cirkin, Ba, Dajaku, Roberts, Clarke

West Brom XI: Palmer, Furlong, O’Shea, Pieters (Gardner-Hickman, 64), Townsend (Reach, 63), Yokuslu, Molumby (Rogic, 58), Wallace (Kelly, 86), Swift, Phillips, Thomas-Asante (Dike, 63)

Button, Kelly, Reach, Gardner-Hickman, Rogic, Grant, Dike