Tony Mowbray: Sunderland worthy winners regardless of penalty controversy

Tony Mowbray says Sunderland were worthy winners against Middlesbrough whether the referee got the key decisions right or not.

Sunderland won 2-0 at the Stadium of Light, and the main flashpoint in the game came early in the second half when Dael Fry was sent off for the visitors and a penalty was awarded.

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick was furious with the refereeing, but Mowbray says it really doesn’t matter either way.

"I've not seen the sending off back but I sit here and think we've had enough red cards ourselves,” he said. “I think it was the right result, we moved the ball well against a good team.”

Sunderland should have really had put the game beyond Middlesbrough in the first half given the chances they created.

Both Amad Diallo and Ross Stewart uncharacteristically missed glorious chances, although both scored in the end.

"Amad's opportunity 1-v-1 where he reads the keeper's pass, you're just waiting for the net to bulge," Mowbray said.

"Then a brilliant bit of play puts Ross Stewart in after a great run, you expect the net to bulge again.

"I think we knew we'd played alright in the first half, we'd denied them too many clear cut opportunities and had a few ourselves.

"We also felt that you can get punished in games like that, but we played well enough to earn the result I think."

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