West Brom 0-1 Sunderland: Joe Wildsmith’s ‘sorry’ for costly gaffe

By Tim Nash

The 29-year-old stopper allowed Trai Hume’s 36th-minute free-kick through his grasp to give the Black Cats their second successive win.

The defeat for Albion left them with consecutive defeats for the first time since October.

Mowbray will now decide whether to keep faith with Wildsmith.

Bad mistake

The Baggies boss gave his thoughts on the error, saying afterwards: “He should have saved it.

“He apologised to me – he came to find me in my office and said it’s on him.

“He acknowledged he made a pretty bad mistake which cost us a goal which ultimately cost us the game.

“But that’s the job as a goalkeeper.

“It’s frustrating because that becomes the narrative.

“With the chances we had and the situations we got into, you have to put the ball in the net.”

Major error

It was Wildsmith’s second major error after his mistake cost a goal at Burnley.

“We’ve been here before, but I’ll see what he’s like in training and see how he reacts,” added the head coach.

“It’s very naive to think ‘the goalie makes a mistake, so change the goalie’.

“Because if the goalie you put in makes a mistake in the next game, where do you go then?

“Change him again?

“I don’t think so, so I will rely on my experience to make the right decisions.

“But the responsibility of the team is to score some goals in a game we were on top of for most of it.”

STRIKE A POSE: Trai Hume celebrates his winner for the Black Cats
PICTURES: Alamy

Match Action

Early on, Darnell Furlong’s volley was blocked by Chris Mepham on the goalline after Black Cats keeper Anthony Patterson punched away Karlan Grant’s deflected cross.

Albion midfielder Alex Mowatt ballooned a shot over the bar as the hosts continued to force the pressure.

Sunderland eventually got out of their own half when Romaine Mundle curled a foot wide from the edge of the box.

Sunderland were forced into a 34th-minute substitution when Mundle was replaced by Eliezer Mayenda, and he won the free-kick that saw the Black Cats take the lead.

Hume curled the ball towards the top corner, with Wildsmith getting just a hand to it when he really ought to have saved it.

Albion claimed a penalty when Furlong fell after cutting inside his man, but referee Tom Nield waved play on.

Jayson Mulumby should have equalised from a free header from point-blank range, but glanced wide from Mikey Johnston’s cross.

Grady Diangana then whistled a 25-yarder inches over the bar.

CLASH: Baggies’ Alex Mowatt and Sunderland’s Alan Browne tangle

Second half

In the second half, Hume tried to repeat his goal with another curling effort, but this time it went wide.

Molumby and Johnston – twice each – had long-range shots blocked then the latter blazed over as Albion tried to get back on level terms.

Patterson made his first serious save in the 81st minute when he tipped away Kyle Bartley’s header from Furlong’s cross, before sub Tammer Bany hooked way over.

Dike perhaps had Albion’s best chance, but he sent a free header over the bar from inside the six-yard box from Tom Fellows’s cross.