It took just one Dan Neil expletive to lose his team this derby. A four-letter word out of place resulting in a four-goal thrashing for Sunderland.
The game-changing incident came deep into first-half stoppage time following 45 minutes of Sunderland control.
Midfielder Neil, already on a booking after lunging in on Josh Coburn earlier, was infuriated when referee Jarred Gillett missed what he felt was a foul.
Neil was 20 yards away from the official, opened his arms in protest and said ‘that’s a f***ing foul, ref’ – according to his manager Tony Mowbray’s version of events.
The comment wasn’t directed at Gillett but that didn’t stop him brandishing a second yellow and a red. Almost nobody inside a stunned Stadium of Light realised what had happened right away.
Middlesbrough put four past bitter rivals Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday
Midfielder Dan Neil was given his marching orders in added time at the end of the first half
Neil, 21, has supported Sunderland his whole life and was left ‘distraught’ at his moment of stupidity. Replays showed him pleading with Gillett once it dawned on him he was in deep trouble.
On the one hand, perhaps Neil should have kept his head down and mouth shut having been booked. On the other, maybe Gillett could have factored in the stormy nature of a local derby.
It was still surprising how 10-man Sunderland collapsed in the second-half, Middlesbrough capitalising fully thanks to goals by Sam Greenwood, Matt Crooks, Isaiah Jones and Marcus Forss.
‘I just found it ridiculous that in the referee’s meeting managers have to go to these days, he’s talking about how he’s going to ’empathetically’ manage this game,’ Mowbray said.
‘Dan is a young player who’s desperately disappointed in that dressing room because he is a local lad who feels a local derby.
‘My own view is that the referee has spoilt the game. When a referee talks about empathy and he tells the players not to gesticulate, not to crowd him, I didn’t feel any empathy in a red card in the last minute of the first-half.
‘Surely if he wanted to book him, surely he has got to pull him over and use some empathy, say ‘listen, son, calm down, this is a great game with two teams going at and 45,000 in the stadium.’
‘Where’s the management of the official? I hope that’s not overly critical of him but I’m just disappointed.’
Sam Greenwood opened the rout in the 58th minute as Boro quickly made use of the man advantage
Neil was sent off for dissent after picking up a yellow card early in the first half on Saturday
Sunderland had been on top as they looked to continue their highly positive start to the season. Patrick Roberts ran about 40 yards before forcing Boro goalkeeper Seny Dieng to save with his legs.
But the sending off flipped the game on its head, with Boro, who have turned a corner following a terrible opening to the campaign, taking full advantage.
With space to exploit all over the field as Sunderland’s discipline crumbled, they broke the deadlock on 58 minutes and doubled their advantage just two minutes later.
Lukas Engel saw his initial effort from distance blocked but Boro kept the danger alive on the left, with Dael Fry crossing for Greenwood to connect perfectly at the near post, sending the ball high into the net.
From their next attack, Jones skipped over Jack Clarke’s desperate slide tackle down the right and cut back from the byline for Crooks to side-foot home.
Jones was enjoying an excellent afternoon and he glided into Sunderland’s box, showing real composure to wait for the perfect moment to roll home.
And Boro’s emphatic win was completed in the last minute when substitute Forss finished from close range after Anthony Patterson saved from Emmanuel Latte Lath.
Those home supporters who hadn’t headed for the exits only could only vent their frustrations by singing ‘four-nil to the referee.’
Boro boss Michael Carrick said: ‘When playing against a team a man down, you have to be clever enough to use the extra space. We moved the ball well, we attacked the spaces well and pressed to regain the ball. As a team we were right on it.
‘The boys are doing well, we’ve had a good run of results now. I was confident the performances and results would come and it’s proved that way. But we’re not getting carried away.’
Matt Crooks’ 60th-minute strike completed a brilliant two-minute double blow from Boro
Former Brentford star Marcus Forss completed the dominant victory for Middlesbrough
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