Joe Hart questions Dan Ballard hair-pull red card in Sunderland 1-1 draw at Wolves | OneFootball

Joe Hart has questioned the decision to dismiss Dan Ballard for a hair pull in Sunderland’s 1-1 draw at Wolves, calling it harsh and raising concerns over consistency. According to Sunderland Echo, he challenged whether the incident merited violent conduct.

Ballard was sent off in the first half at Molineux after referee Paul Tierney consulted the pitchside monitor and ruled the defender had pulled Tolu Arokodare’s hair. Régis Le Bris’ team played on with 10 men, then conceded an equaliser in the second half.

Hart argued the contest reflected the physicality routinely seen in the Premier League, citing recent robust duels, and suggested Ballard was trying to grapple with his striker rather than target hair specifically. He questioned if a 24th-minute red for violent conduct was the outcome the game wanted, noting tougher incidents went unpunished elsewhere.

Le Bris said he understood the law and praised Tierney, but felt the application was hard to accept. He argued the clash was an aerial duel with a powerful, long‑haired striker, that there was no intent or violence, and that defending becomes difficult under such an interpretation.

Ballard is likely to miss Sunderland’s final three matches, with the offence expected to be classed as violent conduct and bring an automatic three-game ban. A comparable case this season saw Everton’s Michael Keane sent off for pulling Arokodare’s hair, an appeal that was rejected, underlining a strict reading of the laws.

Source: Sunderland Echo