Hitman Sam sent off after early goal.
BLUES boss Steve Cotterill-labelled Sam Gallagher’s two yellow cards as “the softest you will see in your life’’.
The Birmingham scorer was harshly dismissed in the 67th minute, referee Oliver Langford punishing Gallagher for a foul on Sunderland striker James Vaughan after booking him 11 minutes earlier for diving when he went down in the box in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Robbin Ruiter.
Lewis Grabban’s 12th goal this season denied bottom club Birmingham the chance to climb above the Black Cats and claim their first away win this season.
And Cotterill said: “For a start, it was a foul on Cheikh Ndoye for Sunderland’s goal – and Sam Gallagher’s two bookings are the softest bookings you will see in your life.
“Sam is 100 per cent an honest boy. He hasn’t dived. When he gets that touch, if he steams into the goalkeeper, what would happen then? He has to go round him so, for me, that’s really, really harsh.
This story is from the December 24, 2017 edition of The Football League Paper.
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This story is from the December 24, 2017 edition of The Football League Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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