Tony Mowbray says Luke O'Nien's early sending off was pivotal as Sunderland slipped to defeat against Swansea City - but the Black Cats boss has no complaints about the decision. O'Nien was shown a straight red card by referee Keith Stroud for a late lunge on Oli Cooper inside the opening 20 minutes at the Stadium of Light, which left his side a man short for more than three-quarters of the game.
Up until O'Nien's dismissal, Sunderland had been the better side but once Swansea had a numerical advantage it was a different story. The red card came just seconds after Sunderland felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Amad appeared to be fouled by Liam Cullen, but Mowbray did not make an issue out of that decision and said he had not watched it back.
"I've got no idea," he said of the penalty claim. "I haven't got a picture of it in my mind, to be honest.
READ MORE: Dan Neil and Jack Clarke among Sunderland's star performers despite Swansea City defeat
"I haven't watched it back, I'm not interested in watching things back when the referee makes a decision. I haven't watched the sending-off back, other than instantly [pitchside] - I thought that he [O'Nien] missed the ball.
"I think the ferocity of the tackle is what got him the red card. Defenders are allowed to tackle for the ball, but he doesn't make contact with the ball and he catches the lad, so...
"It's modern-day football and you have to accept it. It's the speed that he came in that got him the red card.
"It was obviously a long afternoon for us after that against a team that bases itself on playing possession football. They are difficult enough to play 11-vs-11, so when you are a man down it becomes even more difficult and you have to decide how you are going to do it.
"Are you going to give the ball up, let them have it and try and defend your box? Or are you going to leave yourself exposed at the back where they can pick holes through you? We gave it a shot.
"In the first 20 minutes, we started really well and the momentum was with us. You don't need me to say it, really, but I'm sure it would have been a different game if we had kept 11 men on the pitch.
"Luke has apologised to the team and it's done now, we move on."
O'Nien will now sit out the next three games through suspension, meaning he will miss next weekend's home game against Middlesbrough, the FA Cup fourth round tie at Fulham, and then the trip to Millwall in the league on February 4. O'Nien's red card meant Mowbray was forced to bring on defender Danny Batth and sacrifice wideman Patrick Roberts as he tried to rejig his side, and the change effectively tore up Sunderland's gameplan to the extent that Mowbray will not bother to analyse the video of the game.
He said: "I judge things by what I see - I know when the team plays well, I know when it carries out the gameplan. But the gameplan basically went out of the window!
"This is the team with the most possession in the league, way more than the teams that are first and second in the league, so it becomes a really difficult day when you are playing with ten men. We're going to put that game in the bin and move on. We won't be breaking it down or analysing it.
"We had started much better than them when it was 11-vs-11 and I'm sure we would have had a good day if we had kept everyone on the pitch."
As it was, Joel Piroe put the Swans in front just after half-time before Dan Neil levelled for the Black Cats midway through the second period. But a fluke ricochet goal from Cullen restored Swansea's lead just minutes later, and Cooper made it 3-1 12 minutes from time.
READ NEXT:
- Ten-man Sunderland slip to defeat against Swansea City after Luke O'Nien's red card
- Ross Stewart's attitude gives Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray cause for optimism in contract talks
- Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray on 'free hit' FA Cup draw amid Championship admission
- Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray convinced he can achieve Premier League ambition with Black Cats
- Sunderland's 1973 Road to Wembley relived: Dave Watson strikes late to prevent fall at first hurdle
