Referee Tom Bramall shows a red card to Pascal Struijk (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
Referee Tom Bramall shows a red card to Pascal Struijk (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
Two former Premier League stars have backed Pascal Struijk after he was sent off at Sunderland.
Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy both told BBC Match Of The Day viewers he should not have been dismissed.
Struijk was adjudged to have denied Wilson Isidor a clear goalscoring opportunity as the Seagulls led 1-0 on Wearside.
Play continued for some time, with Pascal Gross shooting wide at the other end, before referee Tom Bramall was advised to check his monitor by video assistant Neil Davies.
Struijk appeared to impede Isidor but the argument was over whether the striker would have reached the ball.
Match Of The Day
Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy discuss the decision (Image: BBC)
Presenter Gabby Yorath told the ex-pros nobody in the Match Of The Day office had thought the red card was the right decision, including ex-referee Darren Cann.
Ex-Newcastle and England striker Shearer said: “Isidor, I'm fairly certain, is not getting on the end of that ball and they have to take that into consideration.
“The referee calls it right on field and I think, once he is told to get involved, he should have taken no notice whatsoever, because he's not getting on the other end of that ball, and it's going straight through to the goalkeeper.
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“I thought it was the wrong decision.
“He should have stuck with his original decision.
“He had a good view of it at all. He didn't whistle for the foul and the goalkeeper is getting that ball, not Isidor."
Murphy added: “It's really unlikely he's going to get there. Even if there's a difference of opinion, it's not clear enough.”