West Bromwich Albion moved up to 10th on the Premier League table with a fighting 3-2 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light today.
An early own goal from Nicky Shorey handed the home side the lead before Peter Odemwingie hit back just before the half-hour mark for the Baggies.
Phil Bardsley then put the Black Cats ahead two minutes after the equaliser but after that it was all West Brom who scored through Yossuf Mulumbu and Paul Scharner to record their third win in four matches and extend their unbeaten run to seven.
The loss was Sunderland's seventh in their past eight outings and now has them sitting in a vulnerable position although they are still six points clear of the drop zone although Steve Bruce would be horrified by their recent form.
Sunderland: 2 (Nicky Shorey (og) 10', Phil Bardsley 31') West Bromwich Albion: 3 (Peter Odemwingie 29', Youssuf Mulumbu 55', Paul Scharner 72')
Venue: Stadium of Light, SunderlandCrowd: 41,586 Referee: Peter Walton Yellow cards:SUN - Kieran Richardson 25', Lee Cattermole 45+4', Anton Ferdinand 69' WBA - Gabriel Tamas 90'
West Brom were the better of the two teams in the early stages but it was Sunderland who got the opener through an own goal from Nicky Shorey. GOALSunderland's Asamoah Gyan crossed the ball in from the left towards Ahmed Elmohamady but Shorey somehow directed into the back of his own net to give the home side a bit of luck.
Just a moment later, Steve Bruce had to make a change, bringing Anton Ferdinand on as John Mensah limped out of the game after just 13 minutes.
Gyan came close to a second for the Black Cats when he turned and struck the side netting as the home side kicked into gear in pursuit of another goal before things slightly leveled out as the Baggies started to grab some possession.
GOAL West Brom then hit back in the 29th minute when Peter Odemwingie prodded home for his 11th of the season after Jerome Thomas' cross was headed into his path and the Nigerian did the rest.
GOAL It was raining goals all around the country and the Stadium of Light was no exception as the black Cats again took the lead, this time in sensational style. Kieran Richardson flicked a deft ball to Phil Bardsley who hammered it home from 30 yards to make it 2-1 in the 31st minute.
The game fell into a bit of a lull as the half progressed and there was no change to the score as the home side took a slender lead into the break.
Sunderland began brightly in the second term but it was the Baggies who struck first with a brilliant piece of play from a throw-in. GOAL Youssuf Mulumbu received the ball before laying a pass to Odemwingie who played a return pass and the Congo international stabbed it past Begovic with the help of a slight deflection in the 55th minute.
Both sides were really going after this match with West Brom slightly holding the upper hand. They came close when Simon Mignolet made a crucial double save from a Jonas Olsson header and then an Odemwingie shot from the ensuing corner with about 20 minutes left.
GOAL West Brom then hit the lead with a nice piece of interplay which ended in Odemwingie finding Paul Scharner who fired low pass Mignolet into the bottom corner to make it 3-2.
Roy Hodgson's men looked like they would be able to hold on for a vital away win and that is the way it occurred as they kept their Premier League hopes alive.
Starting Line-Ups
Sunderland Simon Mignolet (gk) - John Mensah (Ferdinand 13', Sessegnon 78'), Phil Bardsley, Michael Turner, Nedum Onuoha - Kieran Richardson (Zenden 46'), Steed Malbranque, Lee Cattermole, Ahmed Elmohamady - Asamoah Gyan, Danny Welbeck
Subs - Craig Gordon (gk), Anton Ferdinand (13'), Boudewijn Zenden (46'), Stephane Sessegnon (78'), Sulley Muntari, Jack Colback, Jordan Henderson
West Brom Scott Carson (gk) - Steven Reid, Jonas Olsson, Abdoulaye Meite, Nicky Shorey - Jerome Thomas, Youssuf Mulumbu, Paul Scharner, Chris Brunt (Morrison 78') - Peter Odemwingie (Tamas 90'), Simon Cox (Fortune 86')
Subs - Boaz Myhill (gk), James Morrison (78'), Marc-Antoine Fortune (86'), Gabriel Tamas (90'), Gonzalo Marek Cech, Carlos Vela, Jara
