Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray reveals referee apology after Sheffield United winner - and criticises officiating standards

Mowbray and his staff, and his Sunderland side, were left exasperated when Tommy Doyle's free kick bounced all the way into the far corner on the hour mark. Sander Berge had made a clear effort to connect with the ball from an offside position, but the goal stood and the Blades went on to seal three vital points.

It left Sunderland's play-off hopes hanging by the thinnest of threads, and though Mowbray conceded his side had been second best in the first half, he felt he was entitled to criticise the standard of officiating.

Sunderland also felt they could have had a first-half penalty when Berge appeared to handle a header from Danny Batth.

"It would be great if the officials could come in here and explain why the second goal was allowed to stand," Mowbray said.

"There's three players offside and one of those players tries to poke the ball in - which means our goalkeeper stands [still] in case he gets a touch. He misses it I think and it bounces in.

"One of my coaches has just come out of the referee's office and he's apologised, which doesn't mean very much to us at the moment. I don't think it's in any doubt, he's made a move which has forced our goalkeeper to stand on his line and then the ball bounces in. I think they got it badly wrong and it has ultimately cost us.

"Someone has mentioned to me that we should have had a penalty first half, but those little decisions, you get them or you don't. "Goals are what football is about and they have to get them right. I suppose that's why we have VAR in the Premier League and around the world, so someone can see the replay and see that it's offside. If we have VAR, I don't even think there's a 1% chance that goal gets allowed.

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"I sit here every game and try my hardest not to criticise officials, but every game there's a bit of carnage going on.

"We can't always blame officials but I do feel I can sit here today and say they got it badly wrong today, I thought they had a really bad day. I don't want the narrative to be Mowbray moans at the officials, I'm moaning every week because I genuinely don't feel that they're the good enough to take this games.

"Then the worst thing is, they don't have the humility to have a conversation with you. You just want a normal conversation, an explanation.

"He's apologised to the coaching staff, so can we take a point. I'll go and see if Hecky [Paul Heckingbottom] will agree to take a point."

Heckingbottom said he wasn't sure on the exact law relevant to Doyle's goal, but conceded that he felt it was offside and that were he Mowbray, he would have been left furious with the decision.