CARLOS’ CALL FOR CALM FROM BRAN
Mad few minutes so costly
FRUSTRATED West Brom boss Carlos Corberan was left to rue three moments of madness which ultimately cost his promotion-hunting Baggies.
The Spaniard looked on in horror as first star striker Brandon Thomas-Asante picked up two yellow cards in quick succession, and then – still reeling from the sending off – his team fell asleep at a corner to let the Black Cats score the only goal.
Still needing points to secure their place in the Championship play-offs, the errors were to prove costly on a difficult Hawthorns afternoon.
Corberan urged his striker to learn to ‘manage the situation’ after his 43rd-minute sending off – for fouls on Jack Clarke and Dan Ballard left the hosts short-handed.
“The second yellow card had a massive impact,” he said. “You can have desire, but when you have a yellow card, you need to increase the calm.
“To then concede from a set piece after losing a player... it is painful.
“It’s a lesson for Brandon and it’s a lesson for us. We haven’t had the experience to play with a player less since I arrived. I know for some teams how much of a disadvantage it can be.
“If somebody today breaks their limits with two actions, they’re two yellow cards. When you have a yellow card, you must control yourself.”
Albion’s situation worsened further in firsthalf stoppage time when Pierre Ekwah struck the only goal and inflicted a first defeat in 11 matches on the hosts.West Brom began with a greater tempo than their visitors, who had played out two goalless draws prior to this. Sunderland captain Luke O’Nien was required to nod behind a teasing delivery from Albion winger Mikey Johnston, before Nathaniel Chalobah tested his luck from outside of the penalty area with a dipping effort which goalkeeper Anthony Patterson claimed at the second attempt.
The real first-half drama unfolded in the final few minutes leading up to the break. Thomas-Asante was late when he caught Clarke and was appropriately booked by referee Matthew Donohue.
The man in the middle reached for his pocket a minute later when the Albion striker took a heavy touch and, in attempting to retrieve the ball, cleaned out Ballard.
Thomas-Asante was duly given his marching orders.
Things turned from bad to worse when a corner from the left found Ekwah unmarked near the penalty spot, and he was able to stylishly steer the ball into the top corner, well beyond the reach of Alex Palmer, and to the delight of the strong away following.
Sunderland played the second half with more of a swagger against their depleted opponents.
Midfielder Dan Neil was teed up by Chris Rigg on the edge of the penalty area and he stung the palms of Palmer.
John Swift bent a shot just wide of Patterson’s far post from the edge of the area, but Sunderland themselves came closest to then killing the game as a contest when Callum Styles cut inside from the left and arrowed a curling shot just wide of the outstretching Palmer’s far post.