Saturday
17th October 2015,
Barclays Premier League, The Hawthorns, Kick-Off 3:00pm |
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West Bromwich Albion |
1 - 0 |
Sunderland |
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0 - 0 |
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Berahino (54) |
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Managers |
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Tony Pulis |
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Sam Allardyce |
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Starting XI |
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Boaz Myhill |
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Costel Pantilimon |
Craig Dawson |
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DeAndre Yedlin |
Gareth McAuley |
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John O'Shea (c) |
Jonny Evans |
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Younès Kaboul |
Chris Brunt |
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Billy Jones |
Stéphane Sessègnon |
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Lee Cattermole |
(c) Darren Fletcher |
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Yann M'Vila |
Claudio Yacob |
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Sebastian Larsson
(Johnson 61) |
James McClean |
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Jordi Gómez
(Defoe 71) |
(Lambert 71) Salomón Rondón |
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Fabio Borini |
(Gardner 79)
Saido Berahino |
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Steven Fletcher
(Graham 75) |
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Substitutes |
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Jonas Olsson |
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Patrick van Aanholt |
James Chester |
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Liam Bridcutt |
Craig Gardner |
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Wes Brown |
Victor Anichebe |
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Adam Johnson |
Rickie Lambert |
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Jermain Defoe |
Callum McManaman |
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Danny Graham |
(gk) Anders Lindegaard |
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Vito Mannone (gk) |
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Bookings |
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(foul 9) Dawson |
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Pantilimon (dissent 55) |
(foul 56) Yacob |
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Borini (persistent fouling 84) |
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Attendance:
24,225 |
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Referee:
Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire) |
Assistant 01:
Mike Mullarkey (Devon) |
Assistant 02:
Stephen Child (Kent) |
Fourth Official:
Graham Salisbury (Lancashire) |
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Official Matchday
Programme |
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Price:
£3.50
Pages: 84 Issue: 06 |
●
Former Albion coach and player Sam Allardyce takes charge of his first game
as Sunderland boss. |
MATCH REPORT
James McClean sparked a melee at
the final whistle after Costel Pantilimon's error gifted West Brom a vital win
over Sunderland. Former Black Cats midfielder McClean celebrated in front of the
travelling fans and was confronted by Danny Graham and Lee Cattermole. McClean
claimed he was 'hung out to dry' by Sunderland over his decision not to wear a
Remembrance Day poppy on his shirt during a game against Everton in 2012. It was
a flashpoint in an otherwise dull game as Sam Allardyce took charge of
Sunderland for the first time, but could only watch in horror as his goalkeeper
tossed away what would have been a valuable point at The Hawthorns. Pantilimon
dropped a Chris Brunt cross to allow Saido Berahino to seal a 1-0 win and leave
Sunderland rooted in the Barclays Premier League's relegation
zone. In contrast, victory lifted
Albion seven points clear of the bottom three and lifted any
early-season pressure on boss Tony Pulis.
Defeat only underlined the size
of the job Allardyce has to keep the Black Cats in the top flight as he watched
them match the Baggies for much of the game, only to be undone by a mistake.
Boaz Myhill saved well from Billy Jones in the first half, but Pantilimon's
gaffe was in keeping with a scrappy, uninspiring match which was littered with
mistakes.
Allardyce recalled Younes Kaboul
and Sebastian Larsson for the suspended Sebastian Coates and Jeremain Lens while
Jordi Gomez also got the nod. Stephane Sessegnon was handed a surprise start for
the hosts, having not even played a league game for the Baggies since April. The
Black Cats celebrated their 136th birthday on Saturday, but have been showing
their age following their constant relegation struggles. Allardyce, their eighth
manager in the last six years including caretakers, has been parachuted in to
save them from the drop, which has seemed inevitable for the past three seasons.
He got an immediate reaction, though, with the Black Cats comfortably the better
side in the first half. Cattermole and Steven Fletcher both had shots blocked
before the visitors were denied by Myhill's brilliance. Yann M'Villa and
Fletcher were involved in keeping the ball alive in the Baggies' box before
Myhill produced a superb reaction save to turn Jones' six-yard header over. It
was, though, the only moment of quality during a turgid first half which only
lived up to the pre-match billing. Sunderland kept Albion contained with their
midfield strong and organised, giving the hosts little opportunity to break
through.
Craig Dawson ballooned a shot
into the stand nine minutes before the break to sum up the lack of quality, with
only Sessegnon a sporadic threat with his direct running for Albion. But nine
minutes after the re-start the game sparked into life thanks to Pantilimon's
clanger. The keeper came out to claim a routine cross from Chris Brunt under the
slightest pressure from Berahino. But the Romanian dropped the centre on to the
back of John O'Shea's leg and it ran for Berahino to poke in from three yards.
It sapped the confidence from
Sunderland and, while M'Vila tested Myhill from distance with 13 minutes remaining,
there was little fightback.
West Brom were allowed, without
serious scares, to see out the game and left Allardyce in no doubt about the
size of the task he faces. And after the final whistle McClean celebrated in
front of the visiting fans and had to be pulled away by Craig Gardner after
being confronted by several
Sunderland players.
Sporting Life
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