West Brom 3 Sunderland 0

Apr 26 2009 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

Sbragia’s gameplan couldn’t be faulted . . . he named an attacking side with Carlos Edwards and Andy Reid on the flanks and with Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse in tandem up front.

But that quartet let him down. Edwards and Reid delivered no ammunition, while Jones and Cisse were at their impotent worst.

The defeat had little impact on Sunderland’s standing in the table . . . they remain 15th, four points above the drop zone.

But while last week’s win against Hull was a filip for the Wearsiders, so this was an almighty kick in the teeth.

And they now have just four games – at home to Everton and Chelsea and road trips to Portsmouth and Bolton – to get the points they need to guarantee another season in the top flight.

Sbragia made two changes to the side that started against Hull.

Record £9m buy Craig Gordon suffered a recurrence of a long-standing knee problem on the eve of the game and that meant Marton Fulop – who has played more than half the season while Gordon has been out of action with an ankle injury – was brought back in goal.

The other change saw Kieran Richardson – who returned from a calf injury with a brief run-out as a sub against Hull – start in midfield at the expense of Grant Leadbitter. Richardson is no stranger to The Hawthorns, having spent half a season on loan at West Brom in 2005 while a Manchester United player.

Albion boss Tony Mowbray made one change to the side that lost 4-2 at Manchester City last weekend.

With Scotland winger James Morrison ruled out with a heel injury, his place on the left flank was taken by Jay Simpson.

Sunderland were woeful in the first half against a West Brom side that was little better, if at all.

But the difference was that the Black Cats carried virtually no goal threat, while the Baggies at least caused problems in the final third.