Ross: There was not much control throughout game
LATE EQUALISER AT WYCOMBE WAS QUITE A RELIEF, BUT THE GAME CAME AT A COST FOR SUNDERLAND
Jack Ross felt referee Lee Swabey lacked control of Sunderland’s feisty 1-1 draw with Wycombe, which saw three players sent off.
Sunderland skipper George Honeyman, who had already been subbed, was one of those to see red after a melee late on in the game.
A coming together between both benches was sparked after Honeyman reacted to one of the Wycombe coaches kicking the ball away when Sunderland were trying to take a quick throw-in.
There was pushing and shoving in the incident, which spilled on to the pitch and eventually led to Honeyman and Nathan Tyson - who had also been subbed - both seeing red.
Assistant boss James Fowler and unused sub Jack Baldwin had also earlier been booked by Swabey in an ill-tempered afternoon.
Ross was unhappy only six minutes was added on at the end of the game after several lengthy stoppages, while he also felt Marcus Bean should have seen a straight red for a foul on Duncan Watmore.
Bean was booked, his second of the game, so Wycombe ended the game with ten men, Sunderland with nine after Watmore and Tom Flanagan were forced off injured in added-on time.
When asked about the melee, Ross said: “First of all, I don’t think there was a huge amount of control over the whole game.
“And I did comment on that through the game. That was a factor.
“We have to take responsibility within our behaviour, as do Wycombe, both technical areas have to take responsibility, you can’t proportion blame to the referee for that.
“But the whole game had a lack of control. I can’t quite believe having seen some of the additional time added this season that there was six minutes added. The number of times the game was stopped, quite incredible.
“The game always had that little feel around it. What happens in the end, it is not good.
“I have no issue with my players and staff looking after each other but it always has to be within reason. I haven’t watched it again, we have footage and I will watch it.”