Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris praised the character of his team after West Bromwich Albion missed several chances.
Baggies keeper Joe Wildsmith allowed Trai Hume’s 36th-minute free-kick through his grasp for the only goal of the game.
The Black Cats held on for their second successive win after defeat to Coventry City.
Afterwards, Le Bris applauded the determination of his side after they grinded out a 1-0 win.
Team spirit
“I wanted to reinforce the idea of mindset within the team because they were really well connected and won many duels, and our team spirit was impressive again,” he said.
“They put many bodies in the box and they tried different options to create situations, but we defended well.
“Until the end, we were on the edge, but the mentality of the team is getting better – you can feel it now.
“Probably three or four months ago, we would have lost that game, and we’ve lost many points in these circumstances, so this was positive.”
It was left-back Trai Hume’s second successive goal after his strike against Millwall last week.
“When you have a left-back score, it’s very positive for the team,” added Le Bris.
“For the last two games, Trai has been really important, and for the next fixture, other players will be able to score.”
Le Bris says Hume’s set-pieces are a welcome, but surprise addition to Sunderland’s armoury.
He said: “It’s a new layer in his profile.
“If he can add this ability to his game, it changes his profile towards the next level.”
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