Sunderland suffered defeat on a freezing night at the Stadium of Light as West Brom came from behind to score twice in the second half and take the three points.
Goals from Tom Rogic and Daryl Dike cancelled out Amad's first half penalty and saw the Lads denied a third consecutive win in the Championship
Possession belonged to the home side for the opening exchanges of the game with a series of blocked shots preventing Sunderland from testing the keeper but West Brom provided the game’s early scare when Jed Wallace’s teasing cross was inches from the outstretched boot of Brandon Thomas-Asante.
However, Sunderland’s emphasis on carving open the Baggies prevailed as a well worked move saw Amad receive a reverse pass from Luke O’Nien and drive into the box before being brought down. The Ivorian took the responsibility and sent Alex Palmer the wrong way for his third goal in as many games.
A wondersave from Alex Palmer prevented the Lads from doubling their lead when Ellis Simms knockdown found it’s way to Alex Pritchard whose point blank effort was superbly blocked.
Danny Batth was penalised for bringing down John Swift in his own half to prevent a chance but the home side maintained their one goal lead heading into the break in sub zero temperatures.
A Baggies breakaway saw John Swift cut back to Matt Phillips on the right but Anthony Patterson was on hand to block out the effort with his midriff to keep the Lads ahead.
Just before the hour mark, Conor Townsend picked up the pieces from a sliding Luke O’Nien challenge but could only drag his shot wide of the right hand post.
Patterson came to the rescue once again to deny a stinging shot from Rogic with the young shotstopper tipping his effort over the bar.
However, the Australian wasn’t to be denied on the 70 minute mark as his arrowing effort with the outside of his boot found the bottom right hand corner.
Carlos Corberan’s side took the lad with eight minutes left on the clock when Jed Wallace’s pinpoint cross found substitute Dike who nodded the ball into the bottom corner.
The Lads pressed on for an equaliser and came within inches from Danny Batth’s glancing header bounced past the right hand post from a corner but it wasn’t to be their night as they were denied a third win in a row.
Goals: Amad (19’ pen), Rogic 70’, Dike 82’
SAFC: Patterson; Gooch, O’Nien, Batth (Ba 89’), Cirkin; Evans, Neil (Cirkin 74’); Pritchard (Dajaku 89’), Embleton (Clarke 58’), Amad; Simms (Roberts 89’)
Subs not used: Bass, Hume
West Brom XI: Palmer; Furlong, O’Shea (Gardner-Hickman 65’);, Pieters (Reach 65’), Townsend; Molumby (Rogic 58’), Yokusulu; Swift, Wallace (Kelly 86’), Thomas-Asante; Thomas-Asante (Dike 64’)
Subs not used: Button, Grant