WITH mounds of ice surrounding the Stadium of Light pitch, perhaps it was inevitable that Sunderland would slip up last night.

Leading through Amad Diallo’s first-half penalty, the Black Cats were unable to keep West Brom out during a second half in which they were second best for long spells.

Tom Rogic equalised for the Baggies with 20 minutes remaining, before his fellow substitute, Daryl Dike, headed home a winner with seven minutes left. From a position of relative strength at the interval, Sunderland were ultimately frozen out.

As a result, they missed out on the chance to move within a place of the play-off spots, with the continued absence of Ross Stewart being keenly felt. Tony Mowbray’s desire to avoid any unnecessary risks with the striker was understandable, but his side lacked an attacking focal point as a result and were pegged back throughout the second half.

They scored in their only real period of dominance before the break, with the in-form Amad scoring his fifth goal in the last seven matches, a superb return that highlights just how confidently the Manchester United loanee is playing at the moment.

The Ivorian won the spot-kick himself, with a slick one-two with Luke O’Nien enabling him to advance into the area and forcing West Brom full-back Conor Townsend into a hurried challenge that resulted in Amad being bundled to the floor. It was the first penalty Sunderland had been awarded this season, and in the absence of Stewart, it said much about Amad’s growing authority that he stepped up to stroke a composed finish into the bottom corner.

The Black Cats almost scored a second two minutes after breaking the deadlock, but while Ellis Simms’ flick released Alex Pritchard into the penalty area, Baggies goalkeeper Alex Palmer was off his line quickly to save the midfielder’s shot.

West Brom hadn’t created a chance at that stage, but the visitors thought they should have been playing against ten men shortly after the half-hour mark.

Danny Batth conceded possession to John Swift deep inside his own half, and reacted by pulling back the Baggies forward to prevent him from being able to break clear.

There were similarities to the incident that had seen Dan Neil dismissed in the defeat at Sheffield United earlier this season, but whereas the referee at Bramall Lane produced a straight red card, last night’s official, James Linington, opted to brandish a yellow. It was probably the right decision given the distance Swift still had to travel to the goal, but it was a close call.

Sunderland’s energetic pressing limited West Brom to a handful of dangerous deliveries from the flanks in the first half, with Anthony Patterson more than equal to whatever was sent his way, and the hosts continued to deny their opponents time on the ball after the interval.

They were indebted to Patterson eight minutes into the second period, however, with the goalkeeper denying Matty Phillips with a point-blank save. Phillips swept a first-time effort goalwards as he met Swift’s cross on the edge of the six-yard box, but Patterson was perfectly positioned and kept the ball out.

West Brom were the dominant side in terms of possession for the much of the second half, but while Townsend burst onto a loose ball after Luke O’Nien cut out a forward pass, he fired a first-time effort wide.

Patterson tipped substitute Rogic’s long-range strike over the crossbar as the Baggies continued to press, but the Sunderland goalkeeper was unable to prevent the concession of an equaliser with 20 minutes left.

A short-corner routine that the Black Cats’ defenders failed to pick up resulted in Jed Wallace crossing from the right, and while the ball was cleared into Rogic’s path, the Australian prodded home a first-time effort from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Sunderland’s resistance was crumbling, and they conceded again as another of West Brom’s substitutes came up trumps with seven minutes left.

Wallace claimed his second assist of the evening with a cross from close to the right touchline, and the onrushing Dike found the net with a powerful header.