SUNDERLAND were effectively consigned to the play-offs as their hopes of an automatic return to the Premiership all but disappeared amid the Wearside gloom.

Promotion rivals West Brom stretched their lead over Mick McCarthy's third-placed side to 12 points after Jason Koumas snatched a last-minute winner at the Stadium of Light to inflict the Black Cats first home defeat in 21 games in all competitions.

In a grim struggle, Baggies boss Gary Megson successfully employed a gameplan designed to stifle Sunderland's best endeavours to narrow the gap.

Sunderland still have a game in hand on Megson's men, but Albion now need only four points from their four remaining matches to be sure of a place in the top flight.

Two substitutes made the difference yesterday as Lloyd Dyer, a 75th-minute replacement for Scott Dobie, broke from halfway and exchanged passes with Neil Clement before squaring for the unmarked Koumas to sidefoot past the exposed Mart Poom.

Sunderland, who had been unbeaten in nine League games before defeat at Ipswich on Easter Monday, suffered their first setback at their Stadium of Light citadel since the surprise Carling Cup exit to Huddersfield nearly seven months ago.

And it was only the Black Cats' second home League defeat this season - Millwall won the opener on Wearside in August.

West Brom, 2-1 winners here in the previous two seasons in the third round of the FA Cup and precisely a year ago today - a week after Sunderland's relegation was confirmed at Birmingham - showed precious little ambition on this occasion.

But the Baggies, only two points behind leaders Norwich City from the same number of games, secured the result they wanted.

Sunderland were forced to reshuffle and regroup almost from the start when skipper George McCartney, who had just returned from an ankle injury, was carried off following a sixth-minute challenge by midfielder Andy Johnson after Gary Breen had played his teammate into trouble.

Joachim Bjorklund was quickly called up from the bench and Phil Babb moved across from central defence to take over McCartney's left-back role.

But Sunderland refused to be fazed by the early disruption and when Babb centred in the 14th minute, Baggies skipper Sean Gregan, formerly with Darlington, was happy to head over his own bar with Tommy Smith lurking.

The Black Cats then felt aggrieved when centre-back Breen broke into the box on the right and defender Darren Moore appeared to handle as he went to ground to block the low cross.

There were vociferous penalty appeals from the home fans, but referee Tony Leake would not be swayed.

With Jason McAteer suspended for his sending-off in the FA Cup semi-final defeat by Millwall at Old Trafford a fortnight earlier, McCarthy had welcomed the return of Jeff Whitley in midfield after a five-match ban following his two dismissals in ten days last month.

But it was Whitley on the receiving end this time as Albion's Danish defender Thomas Gaardsoe was cautioned in the 26th minute for raising his foot at the Northern Ireland international.

Moore may have enjoyed a let-off over the handball incident, but the fickle hand of fate dealt him a cruel blow near the half-hour mark when he pulled up with a hamstring injury and hammered the ball into the crowd in frustration.

Wales midfielder Koumas, himself not fully fit, came on after Moore was unable to run the injury off and Clement dropped back into defence.

Mr Leake had to have words with Baggies striker Geoff Horsfield and Sunderland right-back Darren Williams when they squared up to each other after the visitors had attacked deep into home territory.

The Black Cats experienced another anxious moment as Dobie broke clear on the right before firing over the angle of Poom's goal as the home side looked for an offside flag.

Albion then forced a corner on the left and when Koumas curled the ball in low, the unsighted Poom had to re-adjust to punch clear after his near-post defenders failed to deal with the flag-kick.

Overall, chances were in scarce supply at either end, but Carl Robinson should have made more of an opening two minutes into the second half.

Julio Arca hoisted the ball in from the left and after keeper Russell Hoult had fisted it away in the face of Smith's challenge, Robinson appeared to be caught in two minds as it flew off his knee and bobbled wide.

Both sides made early changes after the break, with Rob Hulse replacing Horsfield and Kevin Kyle taking over from a jaded-looking John Oster.

Smith went out wide on the right to accommodate Kyle, but when Sunderland won a corner on that flank, it was an inswinger from Arca that caused problems for the Baggies.

Kyle was characteristically eager to please and reacted first in the box to prod his first-time effort narrowly past the near post.

The big Scot's aerial presence soon unsettled the Albion defence and when Williams delivered a high ball from the right, Kyle chested it down and shot in one movement, but blazed wide at the back post.

As time ran out, Smith floated the ball in from the right, but Kyle's header went straight into the arms of Hoult.

Then Albion broke to grab the spoils.

Result: Sunderland 0 West Bromwich Albion 1.

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