West Brom 3 Sunderland 0

Apr 26 2009 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

Albion skipper Jonathan Greening seized on a lucky ricochet off Teemu Tainio inside the Sunderland box in the 13th minute and fired in a left-foot shot, which Anton Ferdinand did brilliantly to block when Fulop could have been in trouble.

But the keeper came to Sunderland’s rescue in the 26th minute after a slack defensive header from Calum Davenport only went as far as Brunt on the right wing.

He cut inside on to his left foot and smashed a shot from the edge of the box, which Fulop did well to save diving to his right.

Sunderland rallied, with Richardson heading a chance over the bar just before the half-hour.

Then on 35 minutes the midfielder tested the keeper with a 35-yard thunderbolt, which Scott Carson dived to his right to fingertip behind for a corner.

Sunderland’s defensive frailty at set-pieces – a problem all season – came back to haunt them five minutes before the break as the Baggies took the lead.

Greening’s corner from the left went all the way to the back post where Jonas Olsson volleyed home left-footed from eight yards, with the ball going under the diving Fulop.

Cue the first round of boos from the Sunderland fans when the half-time whistle went.

The second half continued in much the same vein.

Fulop had to race out of his box to clear from the feet of Brunt as he latched on to a through ball from Robert Koren on 56 minutes.

Sunderland’s problems went from bad to worse three minutes later when the Baggies’ lone striker Marc-Antoine Fortune got free in the right-hand channel and raced into the box.

He held off the challenge of Ferdinand and pulled the ball back into the path of the onrushing Brunt, who applied the finish from six yards out.

The Black Cats had a great chance to pull a goal back and rattle West Brom in the 63rd minute, but when Tainio blasted in a shot from the edge of the area, Cisse stuck out a leg only to divert the ball over the bar from four yards.

From there on in, West Brom were in total control.

Substitute Juan Carlos Menseguez scored his first goal for the Baggies to set the seal on the win in the 88th minute when he turned Ferdinand on the edge of the box and rifled a low shot past Fulop.

Many Sunderland fans headed straight for the exits, but those who remained let their team know exactly what they thought of them.