Sky Sports pundit blasts 'bad mistake' from linesman during Sunderland vs West Brom

Kevin Phillips has spoken out against the refereeing team during Sunderland vs West Brom in the Championship at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

The Black Cats thought they had taken the lead in the first half after Jobe Bellingham poked home a deflected shot past goalkeeper Alex Palmer, only for the linesman to flag for offside.

Replays from Sky Sports, however, showed the Sunderland attacker to be well onside and that the goal should have stood.

"I think they have been hard done by," said former Sunderland and West Brom striker Phillips to Sky Sports at half-time. "You can clearly see that the goal should have stood. If we had VAR it would have been given.

"There was a mistake by Palmer, Roberts gets onto it and there's another mistake by Palmer and it comes into the path of Bellingham who is in the right place at the right time.

"He blocks the pass but doesn't stand and watch it, he gets himself in a good position and you can clearly see he is being played onside and you have to say that it is a bad mistake from the linesman.

"He is on this side, so all you can say in his defence is that the two West Brom players are blocking his vision but the level of officiating nowadays should be able to see that. It was onside. Sunderland can feel very hard done by not going in at half-time 1-0 up."

Sunderland are next in action against Leeds United at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday evening.