Coleman rages over ‘criminal’ defending

CHRIS COLEMAN’S Sunderland side were sent back into the relegation zone by a ‘criminal’ piece of defending. Barnsley’s Ethan Pinnock was given space in the Sunderland box to head the winner from a Zeki Fryers corner two minutes into the second half to end Barnsley’s run of 10 matches without a win. Home boss Coleman said: ‘Barnsley deserved it from the first minutes. They set the tempo a lot, were more aggressive and we looked nervous again at home. Disappointing. ‘The goal we conceded was criminal. And now it looks like we will lose Darron Gibson for some time (with a groin injury). I had no choice but to play him because Paddy McNair wasn’t fit. We had nowhere else to turn apart from a few young ones. It is not a great way to start the new year. We got zero and deserved zero.’ Barnsley manager Paul Heckingbottom, a former Sunderland defender, said: ‘We made it difficult because we were wasteful. The goal changed the dynamic of the game.’