West Brom slipped out of the Premiership with their heads held high after a battling victory at already relegated Sunderland.

Two first-half goals from Derek McInnes left the Baggies to celebrate a bitter-sweet afternoon despite Marcus Stewart's 70th-minute strike as victory for Bolton over West Ham confirmed their return to Division One.

They may have needed a helping hand from Black Cats' keeper Mart Poom, who was at fault for both goals, but they were good value for the points as the home side slipped to their 11th successive league defeat.

After a confident start by the home side in front of 36,025 spectators, Albion had the upper hand for much of the game, although Stewart's goal sparked a late but ultimately fruitless fightback.

But for the heroics of Russell Hoult, who pulled off a fine double save from Stewart at 0-0 and then kept out Kevin Phillips' point-blank header, Sunderland might have got something out of the game, but Albion were generally the better side on another bleak afternoon on Wearside.

The two sides had scored only 42 Premiership goals and collected 40 points between them this season before kick-off, and few who of those braved a cold spring afternoon at the Stadium of Light turned up expecting a classic.

But the dark clouds hanging over Wearside grew ever more menacing as their hopes of salvaging a little pride following last weekend's confirmation of their exit to Division One were torn apart by some comical defending.

West Brom, with only nine goals on the road before today, could not believe their luck when, six minutes before the break, Estonian keeper Mart Poom and Moroccan defender Talal El Karkouri failed to negotiate the language barrier as they both went for Neil Clement's innocent-looking cross.

In true slapstick style, the two men collided and then got in each other's way once more as they tried to repair the damage, and McInnes stepped in to steer a shot into the empty net.

And Poom, who was the villain of the piece at Birmingham last Saturday, was left shaking his head again within three minutes after being wrong-footed by a Jason Koumas free-kick.

The ball may have taken the slightest of deflections off the defensive wall, but the wrong-footed keeper could only block with his legs and an astonished McInnes slid in once again to make it 2-0.

Sunderland's misery was compounded when striker Kevin Phillips missed the last few minutes of the first-half to undergo treatment on an ankle injury.

However, it could have been so different if Poom's counterpart Russell Hoult had not excelled himself in the early stages.

The Baggies' keeper pulled off two stunning saves within seconds in the eighth minute to deny Stewart, and Kevin Kyle sent a downward header just wide with Hoult beaten.

But just as it looked as though there might be some light at the end of the tunnel for the Black Cats, who had lost their previous 10 league games on the trot, they pressed the self-destruct button.

What Mick McCarthy said to his players at the break can only be imagined, but their response, in the early stages at least, was not exactly what he might have hoped.

Stewart tested Hoult at his near post with a 47th-minute snapshot, but West Brom were brimming with confidence and the lively Jason Roberts, a first-half replacement for the injured Lee Hughes, lured El Karkouri, substitute George McCartney and Darren Williams into untidy challenges which cost each of them a yellow card.

Poom partially redeemed himself with a good save from former Sunderland striker Danny Dichio on 62 minutes, and there was better to come eight minutes later when, after Hoult failed to hold Sean Thornton's well-struck drive, Stewart bundled the ball home from close range to give his side hope.

To their credit, McCarthy's men stepped up a gear in the search for an equaliser, although they always looked vulnerable to Roberts' pace on the break.

Stewart blazed across the face of goal on 82 minutes when he should have done better, but it needed a fine reaction save from Hoult to keep his side in front two minutes later after Phillips got a flick to McCartney's goal-bound header.

The home side continued to press until the final whistle, but the Baggies held on for a satisfying, if hollow, victory.

Teams

Sunderland: Poom, Gray, Craddock, El Karkouri (McCartney 58), Williams, Kilbane, McCann (Arca 19), Thornton, Kyle (Proctor 82), Stewart, Phillips.

Subs Not Used: Sorensen, Flo.

Booked: El Karkouri, McCartney, Williams, Kyle.

Goals: Stewart 70.

West Brom: Hoult, Balis, Sigurdsson, Wallwork, Gregan, Clement, Koumas, McInnes, Johnson, Dichio, Hughes (Roberts 36).

Subs Not Used: Murphy, Dobie, Lyttle, Udeze.

Booked: Koumas.

Goals: McInnes 39, 42.

Att: 36,025

Ref: G Poll (Hertfordshire).