Sunderland red card row continues as Jay Bothroyd and Dermot Gallagher disagree over Dan Ballard decision | OneFootball

Jay Bothroyd and Dermot Gallagher disagreed over Dan Ballard’s red card, as debate over the call continued. Sunderland drew 1-1 at Wolves and now face losing the defender for the run-in.

According to Sunderland Echo, referee Paul Tierney, after initially missing the flashpoint, was sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR in the first half at Molineux. Ballard was then dismissed for pulling Tolu Arokodare’s hair, and Sunderland played most of the match with 10 men.

Bothroyd argued not every hair contact should be treated the same. He cited Gabriel against Man City not receiving a red and said Michael Keane’s was the only clear hair pull this season, describing a deliberate downward tug. He added that hands can simply get caught in loose hair, so the definition needs nuance.

Former Premier League referee Gallagher took the opposite view. In the current climate around hair pulling, he felt that once the replay was shown a dismissal was inevitable, calling it serious foul play.

Ballard is expected to miss the final three fixtures against Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea through suspension. Sunderland could appeal, though a successful challenge appears unlikely given similar cases have been rejected this season.

Source: Sunderland Echo