Lewis Cox analysis: Creaking Baggies showing signs of hitting their limit

It was an afternoon where the importance of Okay Yokuslu, Jed Wallace and Matt Phillips was hammered home. They may not always be appreciated, or shine, when playing – but take that level of experience, leadership, legs and quality out of the XI and Albion’s task becomes a steep uphill one.

Their absence is for varying lengths – Yokuslu is back from his ban to be available at Rotherham tomorrow night, Wallace is hoped to return as soon as possible, be it South Yorkshire or at home to Stoke on Sunday, but Phillips won’t be seen again until April.

Either way, the deficiencies in the squad were on show in Wearside and it combined for one of the Baggies’ poorer displays of the campaign. Managerless Sunderland – without the axed Tony Mowbray in the dugout – were good value for victory.

It could have been different, with referee Darren Bond and his officials getting some key decisions wrong, where both sides profited and suffered.

With 20 minutes left the scoreline was still 0-0, Albion were defending and would’ve snatched your hand off for a worthy point, but defender Dan Ballard headed home a simple free-kick – the manner of which frustrating enough – but he shouldn’t have been on the pitch after a terrible challenge on Josh Maja in the first half that left the Albion striker stricken and facing long-term injury concerns.

Maja, then, adding to a growing absentee list. Corberan is receiving no fortune from the footballing Gods in that department. It was the third game in succession Albion have lost a player, an attacker, to a first-half injury. Maja’s ankle looked serious, Corberan didn’t seem optimistic.

Corberan was probably blessed with something close to a fit cohort of attackers – long-term striker victim Daryl Dike aside – for no more than a game or two. I remember reporting at the time to not get comfortable, you seldom keep everyone available, and Albion have been cursed.

Missing some key, senior individuals – Yokuslu’s one-match ban for five yellow cards was probably so avoidable and proved costly here – highlighted the limitations of this squad. It’s a group of decent size and depth with everybody fit, but with three or four or more out, it becomes a struggle.

Nobody is doubting the quality within it, but it is a squad that has punched above its weight in getting as high as third this season, in a strong division. Scratch the surface and gaps will show.

Sunderland’s Dan Neil buried an easy second on the counter-attack, evoking some memories of Leicester the week before, though Conor Townsend did lose his footing on the slick turf. Substitute Brandon Thomas-Asante – left out for fitness reasons – hit back with a good header moments later but Albion couldn’t muster a grandstand finish, and nor did they merit the point it would’ve yielded.

While the Baggies can feel aggrieved with Mr Bond’s call on Ballard, an early decisioon from the official that went in their favour left the visitors feeling shaken, and did not stir them.

Jobe Bellingham tapped into an empty net after a couple of errors from goalkeeper Alex Palmer, one with his feet and one to let a shot squirm through. The assistant flagged Bellingham offside, replays show he was well on. But Corberan felt the mistake unsettled his side. That will be uneasy for the boss, who wants his side to remain headstrong in the face of errors and emerge with clear minds.

Albion were bright enough before that. They had a good 15 minutes or so. Maja – finally starting for Albion against his former side – was played through on goal by Grady Diangana but took too long to get a shot away and then Alex Mowatt fired inches wide from distance.

But Corberan’s men faded badly. There was onus on Diangana, John Swift and Jeremy Sarmiento, as well as young Tom Fellows sent on after half hour, to deliver in the absence of others and they toiled.

Sarmiento was the brighter of the bunch but Diangana and Swift especially were poor and passengers. With others missing and players required to step up, those two needed to show more. Sunderland’s Patrick Roberts and Jack Clarke gave a masterclass in wing play.

Albion finished on the end of very rare consecutive league defeats under Corberan – just the second time that has happened in the Spaniard’s 13-month stewardship. They will be grateful that, at least, results elsewhere have seen them stay fifth despite defeats.

They will, in a way, be grateful for the opportunity of rock-bottom Rotherham tomorrow. On the other hand, the squad is creaking, but must be resilient and resolute to get through this sticky spell.