'Lucky boy...' - Sky Sports pundit claims referee got key decision wrong in Sunderland draw vs Bristol City
Sunderland drew 1-1 with Bristol City on Tuesday evening
Sky Sports pundit Adrian Clarke has suggested that Sunderland should have been awarded a penalty during their late 1-1 draw with Bristol City on Tuesday evening.
The Black Cats had to rely on a stoppage time strike from Patrick Roberts to rescue a point and to maintain their unbeaten home record in the Championship this season, but things might have been different had Regis Le Bris’ side been given a first half spot kick.
Left-back Aji Alese was bundled over in the Robins’ box by Yu Hirakawa after a dangerous run past the winger, but Sunderland appeals for a foul were swiftly waved away by referee Dean Whitesone. Indeed, the official even went as far as to penalise Alese after he was adjudged to have handled the ball during his resulting fall.
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But watching on from the gantry, Clarke was of the opinion that the Black Cats should have been handed an opportunity to open the scoring from twelve yards. Speaking during Sky Sports’ coverage of the game at the Stadium of Light, he said: “Hirakawa got himself into a real pickle. I think he was a lucky boy here. He takes his eye off the ball. That’s mistake number one. And here, he does lunge in. He doesn’t get the ball. For me, he does impede Alese.”
After a bright start to the contest, Sunderland struggled to make their mark against the Robins, and went behind in the 62nd minute when some calamitous defending ultimately fell to the feet of centre-back Luke McNally. It would take until the 93rd minute for the Black Cats to find an equaliser, courtesy of substitute Roberts.
Reflecting on his side’s display, Le Bris said: “I said in the dressing room after the game that we have to show our ambition, and this late equaliser is very important because it shows that we have good character. It was very late, and if we want to achieve our goal in this league, we have to show that type of character. It is a desire that we need to have. We need it every day. Probably, there is five or ten per cent missing right now, so we have to take the responsibility to find a solution for that.
"It is not easy to face a low block and we know we have a lot of work to do in this part of the game. We need to be more clinical, especially in these types of matches. If you don’t score the opponent can stay in their foundations and keep to their game plan. We have quality collectively and individually, but now we need to add five or 10 per cent more.”