Image source, Getty Images

Fifteen minutes plus stoppage time remaining and it's still level.

This result would keep both teams outside the top six, but Albion have a game in hand on many of the sides around them - that is a fixture away at Sheffield United on Wednesday.

Ironic cheers from the home crowd as Joe Gelhardt pulls back Okay Yokuslu and gets a yellow card.

Tony Brown
West Brom's all-time record goalscorer on BBC Radio WM

A bit of pace has gone out of the game.

It's a nervous time for both sides - neither wants to make a mistake and lose this match.

Changes for Sunderland, their first two of the match.

Patrick Roberts and Edouard Michut are on, Abdoullah Ba and Pierre Ekwah go off.

Albion are pressing for a second goal and looking most likely at the moment, but Sunderland are getting opportunities to counter.

Another chance for Albion.

A left-wing corner is headed towards goal at the back post by Conor Townsend, and Anthony Patterson palms it over the bar.

Darnell Furlong wipes the ball with a pink towel before launching a long throw into Sunderland's box.

The visitors clear the first ball and as it is hooked back in, Semi Ajayi goes down claiming he was pulled back by a Sunderland defender.

There's a hand on the shirt but that's about it.

Conor Townsend puts in a peach of a cross from Albion's left but Brandon Thomas-Asante is unable to connect with it at the far post.

I'll be surprised if this ends 1-1.

Things are starting to boil over a bit here.

Sunderland's Jack Clarke goes down in the box under a soft challenge and little to no contact - never a penalty.

That came a minute after Sunderland's Pierre Ekwah avoided a booking for a tackle that, given earlier yellow cards that have been awarded in this match, probably should have seen him go into the referee's notebook as well.

It's all adding to a cracking atmosphere and a match that means so much to both sides' promotion ambitions.

Albion's John Swift was booked for a foul just before Sunderland's equaliser.

Tony Brown
West Brom's all-time record goalscorer on BBC Radio WM

That was the worst thing that could have happened for Albion at the start of the second half.

Two players allowed Lynden Gooch to get his cross in, and if you block that cross they don't score. That's poor defending.

It's going to be some game now.

One thing you can usually guarantee from Sunderland is goals - they have only failed to score once in their past 27 games, and that was against champions-elect Burnley.

Goodness me - we're playing pinball, not football, for a few seconds as West Bromwich Albion pepper numerous shots at the Sunderland goal.

Somehow the visitors survive with some last-ditch defending.

No changes to report for either side as Sunderland, trailing 1-0, get us going again at The Hawthorns.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at The Hawthorns

Image source, Getty Images

I always wondered why the Baggies stopped boing-boinging at The Hawthorns. But they're well and truly back.

Having seen the TV replays, it was the least obvious of the two big penalty shouts Albion had in that half.

But John Swift's spot-kick was fiercely stuck away and the Smethwick Enders were up on their feet and bouncing immediately.

Boing boing, Baggies Baggies. Big blow on the stroke of half-time.

It's an important week for so many clubs in the Championship, with teams able to secure titles and automatic promotion, while the battles for play-off spots and to avoid relegation are anyone's guess.

There's at least one fixture taking place in the second tier every day next week - you can follow live text coverage of the Championship run-in on the BBC Sport website and app.

Here is what's to come over the next few days (all games start at 20:00 BST):

• Monday: Luton Town v Middlesbrough
• Tuesday: Blackburn Rovers v Burnley
• Wednesday: Sheffield United v West Bromwich Albion
• Thursday: Rotherham United v Cardiff City
• Friday: Blackpool v Millwall

Image source, Rex Features

That West Bromwich Albion goal came slightly against the run of play, with Sunderland creating the better chances after a lightning fast start from the hosts.

Albion goalkeeper Alex Palmer made the only save of real note from Jack Clarke, before a contentious penalty decision.

John Swift appeared to already be slipping to the turf when Luke O'Nien came across to try to clear the ball, and there didn't look to be a massive amount of contact either. On the other hand, the Sunderland man gave the referee a decision to make with a clumsy challenge that perhaps didn't need to be made.

Anyway, the officials thought it was a foul and Swift converted from 12 yards to give Albion a one-goal lead.

They'll be up to fifth if the scoreline remains the same at full-time.

Tony Brown
West Brom's all-time record goalscorer on BBC Radio WM

West Brom had a decent start and dominated the early stages of the game, then Sunderland came back and had a spell themselves.

But all of a sudden Albion got a penalty, they're in front and now they need to defend this one-goal lead.

And that's the final action of the half. The Baggies lead at the break.

Will be interested to see that penalty decision again during the interval...

Tony Brown
West Brom's all-time record goalscorer on BBC Radio WM

It was absolutely thumped with pace by John Swift, straight down the middle. That was always my motto because invariably the keeper dives one way or the other, so if you get it right down the middle you score.