Sunderland vs Middlesbrough. Sky Bet Championship.
Stadium of LightAttendance43,584.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Sunderland and Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light on Saturday | Boro cruise to second-half victory after Dan Neil red card.
Saturday 7 October 2023 16:00, UK
Middlesbrough earned the bragging rights in the Wear-Tees derby as they ran out 4-0 winners over 10-player Sunderland.
A close first half ended with a Dan Neil red card, with the Sunderland midfielder shown a second yellow for dissent just before the break.
And the floodgates opened at the Stadium of Light just before the hour mark thanks to a quickfire double from Sam Greenwood and Matt Crooks.
Isaiah Jones then added a third, before Marcus Forss completed the rout in the closing stages. It was a fourth-straight win for Michael Carrick's side.
Sunderland had won five of their last six games and were first to threaten when Abdoullah Ba fired just over the crossbar inside the first 10 minutes, before Patrick Roberts forced a fine save out of Seny Dieng after a weaving run from the right.
Boro responded well and after Greenwood's shot was only parried by Anthony Patterson, Josh Coburn hit the outside of the post with the rebound from a tight angle.
The game swung in Boro's favour deep in first-half stoppage time when Neil, who had been booked earlier in the half for a foul on Coburn, was given a second yellow card for dissent. A melee then broke out at half-time after a Coburn foul on Daniel Ballard, with Carrick and his coaching team rushing onto the pitch in an effort to calm things down.
Boro had two glorious chances early in the second half as they set about making the most of their numerical advantage. Patterson made a fine save at the feet of Crooks, who looked certain to slot home Jones' cross from the right. From the resulting corner, Paddy McNair headed over just four yards out.
The goal Boro had threatened arrived 13 minutes after the break. Dael Fry picked out Greenwood inside the box and the 21-year-old lashed beyond Patterson. Just two minutes later the game was all but over as Jones beat Clarke down the right before teeing up Crooks for a tap-in.
Jones got the goal he deserved after weaving across the pitch from the right and keeping his cool to slot home with his left foot. And after substitute Latte Lath's shot was saved by Patterson in the 90th minute, Forss was on hand to score the fourth.
Sunderland's Tony Mowbray:
"I don't understand the logic of it. I found it ridiculous that in the manager's meeting before the game, which I have to go to, he is saying that he is going to manage the game empathetically. Local derby, 45,000, and he gives a red for gesticulating. Dan told me that he's watched it back, he's 20 yards away and waved his arms and said that's an effing foul. That's the emotion of a young man in a local derby, and he's not swearing at the referee. I do that when I'm emotional, I don't swear often but when I'm emotional it can come out.
"Dan is a great kid, he's competitive. He's distraught because he thinks he's let the team down but I don't think he's done much wrong. In the context of the game, I don't think the decision was appropriate.
"It's a good game and when the referee talks about empathy before the game, he does talk about gesticulating and not crowding the referee but I don't feel there is any empathy in showing a red card in the last minute of the first half. Surely, he's got to pull him over and use some empathy? Tell him to calm down, it's a great game with two teams going at it, 45,000 in the stadium, 'I'll have to show you another yellow if you shout or gesticulate more'. Where's the management from the official? I hope that's not being overly critical, I'm just disappointed because it was a really good first half."
Middlesbrough's Michael Carrick:
"I'm obviously delighted. It's a terrific result, a really good day. The game changed on a couple of moments but playing against 10 men can be difficult. We were conscious of that and we wanted to almost play like we had the 10 men, that mentality.
"Playing against a team a man down, you have to make the most of the extra space and be clever enough to use it. I thought we did that well. The boys did that so well.
"I haven't got a clue (about the red). I don't know what was said or the incident. It was a surprise to see it. I don't know what's gone on, we just had to make the most of it really."
