Mowbray hails Cirkin’s bravery as Cats hit back
TONY MOWBRAY revealed Dennis Cirkin had to be told he was Sunderland’s saviour after being knocked out netting their late leveller.
Second-half sub Cirkin was only on the pitch for 14 minutes but his final touch of the ball before being floored by Millwall keeper George Long was to head home Alex Pritchard’s 81st-minute free-kick.
Until then Millwall looked to be heading for fifth place, literally on the back of Jake Cooper’s 59th-minute opener which he scored while laying horizontal on the edge of the six-yard box.
Black Cats boss Mowbray said: “Dennis is concussed. He was out cold on the pitch for a while.
“He is now awake, he is not necessarily sure whether he scored or not. We are telling him he has.
“Dennis is a brave lad. It is not the first time he has scored a headed goal for us in a tight, contested six-yard box this year.”
The Den’s biggest crowd since 1995 of 18,524 bolstered by 2,800 travelling fans inspired an electric start to the game.
Lions boss Gary Rowett was left incensed when Aji Alese appeared to pull back Tom Bradshaw in the box inside five minutes.
But a bigger setback came when George Honeyman had a 28th-minute effort wiped out for offside.
There was no flag raised when the former Sunderland midfielder turned the ball in after Black Cats keeper Anthony Patterson fumbled Zian Flemming’s shot.
It was only after referee Thomas Bramall spoke to the linesman that it was decided George Saville had been in an offside position impacting Paterson’s view.
Rowett said: “There were lots of moments that were very contentious, which I have watched back.
“We should have had a penalty. Tom gets the other side of the full-back who pulls him and then pushes him in the back.
“The goal was disallowed because Saville was in the keeper’s eyeline but he did not affect the keeper at all.
“He dives straight away and does not appeal at all. That is usually a good guideline. So they think it is a goal but the officials felt not.”
A frustrating first half for Millwall ended with Mason Bennett carried off with a suspected broken ankle. The second half began with Sunderland providing the trickery but the hosts the chances. Murray Wallace’s header hit the top of the bar and Patterson dived full length to keep out Honeyman’s 18-yard effort.
Then Cooper conjured up a masterful finish, lying on his back he flicked out his right foot and drifted a shot in off the far post.
Sunderland hit back with their first effort on target but it came at a price to Cirkin who will miss Wednesday’s FA Cup replay against Fulham due to concussion protocols.