Sunderland U23 slipped to a narrow defeat against West Bromwich Albion at Eppleton, as the Black Cats' winless streak continued.
Quevin Castro scored the only goal of the game ten minutes into the second period for the Baggies.
Sunderland are now winless in five Premier League 2 outings, with four defeats and one draw in that sequence.
They stay 11th in the table, while West Brom remain third.
Sunderland boss Alex Neil, his assistant Martin Canning, and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman were watching from the stands, as was West Brom manager - and ex-Newcastle and Sunderland chief - Steve Bruce, who took the opportunity to take in the game with the Baggies' first team in action at Middlesbrough tomorrow night in the Championship.
Sunderland coach Michael Proctor named three trialists in his starting XI, with defender Ugonna Emenike and wideman Michael Spellman again in the side, and they were joined by Stockport County academy graduate Scott Holding, who played in central defence.
Rico Richards missed the target with an early shot from range as the visitors made the early running.
And Jacob Carney made a brilliant save to prevent Richards putting the Baggies in front on the quarter-hour, diving at the forward's feet to block his shot in a one-on-one situation six yards out.
Sunderland went close themselves on the half-hour when Ellis Taylor played the ball through for Spellman and he burst into the area but, while his low shot beat the keeper, it came back off the right-hand post.
Carney made a good save to push a shot from Jamie Andrews round the post shortly before half-time.
And early in the second half, Carney frustrated the same player, this time fingertipping his header over the bar.
But West Brom made the breakthrough in the 56th minute, when the ball was crossed into the box from the left and Mo Faal headed it down, before it was eventually played to Castro on the edge of the box and he drilled a low shot into the bottom left-hand corner, with Carney unable to reach it.
Sunderland were inches away from an equaliser midway through the second half when Caden Kelly fizzed the ball across the six-yard box from the left, but Ethan Kachosa just could not connect at the far post.
Carney tipped a header from Caleb Taylor over the bar as West Brom went in search of a second goal to kill the game off.
Kachosa had a chance to level after he cut inside the box from the right but his shot was straight at the keeper.
And five minutes from the end Kachosa again powered his way into the box, this time through the centre, but his shot was again straight at the keeper.
Sunderland U23: Carney, Johnson, Holding, Jessup (Fieldson 46), Emenike, Sohna, Kachosa, Scott, Kelly, Spellman, Taylor. Subs not used: Richardson, Gyimah, Gardiner, Jones
Booked: Taylor
West Brom U23: Cann, Taylor, Nguepissi, M Richards, Ingram, Andrews, Castro, Fellows, R Richards (King 80), Faal (Teixeira 60), Mitchell (Cleary 60). Subs not used: Hollingshead
Booked: Castro, Ingram, M Richards
Referee: Aaron Jackson
Attendance: 155
