Ex-Fifa official hits back at Alex Neil after Ross Stewart controversy at Sunderland
The referee was correct to award Sunderland a penalty and send off Lloyd Jones in their 5-1 thrashing of Cambridge United on Saturday (23 April).
That is the view of ex-Fifa and Premier League referee Keith Hackett, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about Jones’ challenge on Ross Stewart in the 13th minute.
The Cambridge defender brought down Stewart in the opening stages before he opened the scoring from the spot.
As quoted by the Sunderland Echo after the game, Alex Neil revealed he thought the sending off was “harsh”.
“It was a penalty kick,” Hackett said after analysing the footage with Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“The referee has got to make a judgement. These DOGSO decisions are harsh but that’s the law.
“I think the referee was accurate in what he did despite the fact the Sunderland manager or anybody might say it’s harsh. They are always harsh.
“That defender has made a careless challenge, not a reckless challenge. A careless challenge is a foul.
“Don’t look for a cynical challenge in a DOGSO offence, it’s just got to be a normal foul and that was a normal foul.
“The only area of a doubt is the probability of the attacking player controlling the ball and having a shot on goal. That is the judgement call by the referee.
“When you coach referees in that situation is say ‘Take away the player who has committed the offence in your mind, if he’s not there would that player have had a shot on goal?’ You would back him to do that because he’s a professional player.
“Compliments to the referee because he’s in a really good position.”
In other news, a finance guru has issued a ‘£45m’ Sunderland claim as a total FFP ‘overhaul’ is imminent.