Jack makes Lions pay penalty at Den

TONY MOWBRAY claims it would cost more than £20million to prise Jack Clarke away from Sunderland.

Trailing to a Kevin Nisbet volley at Millwall, the Black Cats roared back after former Tottenham winger Clarke won and scored a penalty.

It was his 10th goal of the season and underlined just why the club want him to sign a new contract with Premier League teams circling.

Sunderland boss Mowbray said: “He does it every game. He has grown so much. He was a £10m player once.

“I think he’s worth a lot more than £10m now. I know for a fact the club wouldn’t consider anything for probably double that.

“We’re delighted he’s our player. I tell the team to give it to him. Let the flair players damage the opposition. He is full of confidence, full of belief.

“He is amazing – a phenomenal talent.”

Nisbet’s goal lit up an otherwise pedestrian first half punctuated by a couple of Sunderland bookings for bone-crunching tackles.

Brooke Norton-cuffy broke down the right and swung in a deep cross that Nisbet volleyed home in mid-air at the far post.

Sunderland’s recent problems had come from not putting away chances but they struggled to create anything of much note at The Den.

But Clarke tempted Ryan Leonard into a wild tackle. Referee James Linington pointed to the spot and Clarke smashed it home.

Millwall manager Joe Edwards disputed the penalty, saying: “He seemed to get a toe on the ball.”

MILLWALL: Bialkowski 6; Leonard 4, Harding 6, Cooper 6, Wallace 6; Nortoncuffy 8, Mitchell 6, Saville 6, Honeyman 6 (Longman (67) 6); Flemming 6, Nisbet 7 (Bradshaw (63) 6) SUNDERLAND: Patterson 8; Hume 6, O’nien 5, Ballard 6, Huggins 5; Ekwah 6; Ba 5 (Roberts (56) 6), Neil 5 (Mayenda (73) 6), Aouchiche 5 (Pritchard (56) 6), Clarke 9; Burstow 5 (Dack (56) 6) STAR MAN: Jack Clarke – Took matters into his own hands, a constant threat before making and scoring the equaliser. REF: James Linington 9