Gus Poyet was left cursing Sunderland’s luck as his side played out a goalless draw on Saturday — their eighth of the season.

The performance was a vast improvement on the one that saw them humbled in the FA Cup by Bradford six days earlier but the problem that has beset the Black Cats all season was still in evidence. They just couldn’t find the back of the net.

“It wasn’t to be,” said Poyet. “It was that kind of day. We tried everything and got nothing. The performance, desire and commitment were all spot on but we needed a break, a lucky goal, the right decision from the referee.”

Such was the poverty of action that the game was defined by two first-half refereeing decisions. The first came after just five minutes when Danny Graham surged towards the box only to be brought down by Joleon Lescott. It looked more accidental than deliberate and Lescott escaped with a yellow. 

“I’m disappointed,” said Poyet. “It was an easy decision to make. In my book if you give the foul then you send him off.”  

West Brom manager Tony Pulis disagreed: “I’ve seen old women in the high street take more of a knock and stay on their feet,” he said. While it begged the question of what kind of high street he frequents, Puis dismissed the quip as “a good quote.”

A more clear-cut chance just before the break disappeared in the grey area around offside decisions. Adam Johnson had the ball in the back of the net but the linesman had already flagged. 

Johnson was level, but Jermain Defoe had been in an offside position although he wasn’t interfering with play. Either way the decision was wrong and denied Sunderland a much-needed spark.