First-half West Brom salvo leaves Sunderland rooted to bottom

REUTERS - Two spectacular first-half goals earned West Bromwich Albion a 2-0 victory to maintain their excellent start to the season and keep Sunderland rooted to the foot of the Premier League on Saturday.

Albion scored twice in six minutes to effectively kill off bottom club Sunderland's hopes.

Darren Fletcher gave the home side the lead after half an hour with a left-foot volley, and Chris Brunt followed up with a superb strike on 36 minutes after Nacer Chadli had hit the bar from close range.

Sunderland, who began the game bottom of the standings after Swansea's win at Liverpool, rallied in the second half but rarely looked like grabbing the draw that would have taken them above Hull City - their closest rivals in the league's lower reaches.

(Reporting by Neville Dalton, editing by Ed Osmond)