Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray told the Sunderland Echo that referee Jarred Gillett didn’t realize he had already booked Dan Neil when he was sent off against Middlesbrough.
Neil was booked in the 17th minute for a foul on Josh Coburn, and the rest of the game was spent on a tightrope.
That was difficult for the Black Cats’ midfielder because he didn’t have Pierre Ekwah next to him and needed to be a large presence in the middle of the park to offer the hosts the best chance of victory at the Stadium of Light.
But he wasn’t sent off for another foul; instead, he was ejected for dissent near the conclusion of the first half, with Gillett issuing him a second yellow card for a remark he made.
This decision was met with boos from the home crowd, who booed Gillett off the field at the end of the first half, and there was much controversy over whether he should have been sent off.
Given the nature of the game, many considered, and continue to believe, that this red card was excessively harsh, and it ended up affecting the game.
Boro scored in the 58th minute through Sam Greenwood and doubled their lead two minutes later through Matt Crooks, leaving the hosts with a mountain to climb with 10 men.
Isaiah Jones scored in the 72nd minute, and Marcus Forss scored just before stoppage time to cap off a great afternoon for the visiting fans at the Stadium of Light.
Despite the controversy surrounding Neil’s red card, the visitors must be praised for exploiting the opportunity to win three points against a prospective promotion opponent in such a brutal manner.
Tony Mowbray’s reaction to Dan Neil’s red card against Middlesbrough.
Mowbray feels referee Gillett did not want to dismiss the Black Cats’ star, possibly forgetting that he had previously given him a yellow card early in the first 45 minutes.
“I don’t know whether that is right, that’s just my opinion, because it just seemed so out of character with the game being as it was because he had let go so many potential yellow cards early on, and then that one came out of nowhere.”
“I genuinely believe the referee didn’t realize he had already booked him and thought he’d put a mark on him towards the end of the first half, and then he’s realized’my God, what have I done,'” he explained.
Neil must accept some blame because, having already gone on a yellow light, he should have known better.
He should have been more cautious because the Black Cats didn’t have many midfielders at his disposal.
Given the atmosphere of the game and the fact that this was a derby, Gillett may be regretting sending Neil off.
This is, however, only one of several refereeing problems this season, and the relationship between officials and players, spectators, and managers must be restored in some way.
That relationship has certainly broken down, and there isn’t as much trust in referees these days, even with VAR in the Premier League.
