Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick took issue with the key decisions which cost his side against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light - insisting Boro were hit with a 'double whammy'. The Black Cats beat Carrick's side 2-0 thanks to second-half goals from Ross Stewart and Amad, which was enough to lift the Wearsiders to ninth place in the table - just a single point behind sixth-placed Boro.
There was a game-changing moment five minutes into the second half when referee James Linington awarded Sunderland a penalty after Ross Stewart was brought down by Dael Fry, and the Boro defender was also sent off for a professional foul. Carrick insisted it was not a foul and that therefore it should not have resulted in either a penalty or a red card, and that in any event the contact occurred outside the area.
"I don't agree with either [the penalty or the red card] to be honest with you," said Carrick. "For the sending off, I don't think Dael has made any attempt to bring him down, there wasn't a push, a pull, or a trip, he's literally running in a straight line.
READ MORE: Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray's reaction to the win over Middlesbrough as he issues injury update
"Ross is entitled to go down, I don't blame him and I'm not suggesting he's dived. But from Dael's point of view, there's nothing deliberate about it to try and pull him down.
"Then it's out of the box, it's not even worth me answering that. It changed the game.
"It's a double whammy for us. In big games like this you can't get those decisions wrong."
Of Fry, Carrick added: "Of course Dael's disappointed. There's not much more you can say about that really.
"He's been terrific for us, but he got punished far too harshly from what I can see."
Stewart saw his penalty saved by Zak Steffen, but the Scot was on hand to tap home the rebound. And Amad added the second goal ten minutes from time.
Sunderland had been the better side even when it was 11-vs-11, but Carrick felt his side coped well even when they were shorthanded. He said: "It can't always be as perfect as we want it but we were well in the game and with ten men we dealt with that really well
"I was really pleased with the lads how we dealt with that. We kept our shape well, looked a threat, still got on the front foot when we could and at 1-0 I still fancied us to get back in the game.
"So I was really pleased with that, that was a real positive. We might have to go through that scenario [again] as well.
"Hopefully not too soon but going down to ten men does happen."
READ NEXT:
- Sunderland player ratings as Amad, Ross Stewart and Dan Neil among star men in Middlesbrough win
- Ross Stewart and Amad on target as Sunderland beat ten-man Middlesbrough on Wearside
- Tony Mowbray confirms Sunderland searching for permanent additions this month
- Sunderland can't afford to wait on Everton's Ellis Simms decision
- Tony Mowbray sets out Sunderland's stance on Bailey Wright transfer talk
