Former Premier League ref delivers verdict on controversial call in Sunderland's win at Nottingham Forest
Sunderland benefited from a controversial free kick call as they beat Nottingham Forest at the City Ground
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher said Sunderland were fortunate to be awarded the free kick from which Omar Alderete scored the game's only goal at the City Ground on Saturday.
Alderete converted Granit Xhaka's free kick after the referee penalised and booked Nicolas Dominguez, who had challenged Trai Hume for a loose ball. Speaking on Sky Sports News show Ref Watch, Gallagher said the best decision would have been to let play continue.
"He gives an indirect free kick for simulation against Dominguez," Gallagher said.
"I actually think two players challenge for the ball and for me, just leave it alone. I wouldn't side with either. Just leave it alone and I think it goes away, and then of course it ramps up because they then score from the free kick."
Former QPR striker Jay Bothroyd also criticised the decision on the show.
"I don't think the players knew what it was for," he said.
"I don't think it should even be a free kick. They're both trying to get the ball. There's no real contact... the players on the field are looking around to say, 'who is the free kick for?' That's a poor decision. It's soft. That's one of them soft decisions, I don't want to see that in football. That's why people look at football at times and say the game has gone. Just let the game play. There's going to be challenges, it's a contact sport, you don't want to see those things in a football match."
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Ange Postecoglou's verdict on free kick controversy in Sunderland's win over Nottingham Forest
Ange Postecoglou said Omar Alderete's goal shouldn't have stood but refused to blame the referee for his side's defeat.
Postecoglou said his side had not defended Granit Xhaka's free kick well enough, though he felt a foul should have been given against Arthur Masuaku. The Nottingham Forest boss also said that he didn't feel Nicolas Dominguez should have been penalised for the free kick which led to the goal, with the referee penalising him for simulation.
The Nottingham Forest boss said he felt his side still did more than enough to win the game, criticising their finishing as Sunderland held on to secure the three points.
“It was a whole range of decisions from the officials, from awarding and then some holding in the box," Postecoglou said.
"But I still think we were way too lax in our determination to keep the ball out of the net. I just thought it was a really disappointing goal to concede, particularly in a game where we were pretty much in control. It’s not a game where Matz Sels has made a lot of saves and kept them out. Frustrating. Disappointing. It’s another game we have allowed to get away from us, where really we should be very comfortably overcoming [the opposition].
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