Fans have been left baffled as to how Sunderland’s Luke O’Nien avoided getting a red card for a deliberate handball at Watford.
Luke O’Nien had the responsibility of wearing the captain’s armband, with Corry Evans sitting on the bench for this one, but couldn’t prevent Sunderland from suffering a second consecutive Championship defeat.
Watford scored the only goal of the game in the 60th minute to secure all three points, but much of the talk surrounds O’Nien who managed to deny Watford a clear goal-scoring opportunity just six minutes before going ahead.
It came after a Watford player attempted to pass the ball to their forward, but O’Nien was up to his old tricks again, jumping in the air and used both hands to practically punch the ball away.
As a consequence, the 29 year old received a yellow card, somehow avoided a red, with Watford fans and players in disbelief.
Luke O’Nien doesn’t do the ordinary does he pic.twitter.com/N3JUL79JsW
— Rio Woolf (@rio_woolf) April 27, 2024
Meanwhile, Ryan Andrews’ second-half goal earned Tom Cleverley’s Hornets a first home win since the 28th of November 2023.
Watford’s Tom Cleverley:
“I would have taken a 1-0 win before the game, but I’ll always be honest and that was possibly our poorest performance since I’ve been in charge.
“Football has got a funny way of working out. We were excellent in the second half at West Brom and at Southampton and we came away with one point from those two games, so we’ve got a little bit of payback today.
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t a stellar performance, but the result was huge for us today. We were sloppy in possession and made too many technical mistakes.
“Maybe that’s the high demands I have of the team. I see on a daily basis how technically good we are in small spaces. I won’t stop demanding until we can have a complete performance.
“Sunderland did a good job of knocking us out of our rhythm and they caused us a lot of problems in the second half.
“It was pleasing that we managed to see it out defensively when we couldn’t manage it against Leeds and West Brom. We showed a bit of grit to see it out and make it five clean sheets in eight.
“It’s massive to get the home win out of the way before the summer. If we went an off-season and a pre-season and then to the first game in August, you’re looking at nine months since the last win at home. That doesn’t sound great for a club of our size in this league.
“We’ve managed to clear that one off today, so we’re really, really pleased that we’ve managed to send our supporters away for the summer with a little bit of something to celebrate.”
Sunderland’s Mike Dodds:
“I’m really upset for the group and really upset for the fans, whether those who have travelled to the stadium or those back in the north east.
“That’s a game we shouldn’t be losing or even drawing if I’m completely honest. It could have been a 3-0 or 4-0 game to us. But this group has to realise that they’ve got to take their chances.
“When their players and staff are saying something similar as you come off the pitch and their bench is saying that they got away with one today, it’s a really bitter pill to swallow.
“And then their goal is a really poor one to concede. But I would say that’s one moment in 90-plus minutes out of possession where we didn’t do what we should do.
“Taking the emotion out of it, I can’t be overly critical of the group. If we play that game 10 times over, we win it nine times.”
As mentioned, fans were baffled as to how Sunderland’s Luke O’Nien avoided red card for deliberate handball at Watford…
@MunkyPUSB: @FA_PGMOL – Any insight into why this isn’t a red card?
@IwanEvans19: Shouldn’t be near the Championship
@nivekmulla1965: He defo loves a handball 🙄
@geordie_666: The fact Ballard and Onien went for the same ball on the half way line is criminal. Awful that
@rictay53: How’s that not a red?
@stokes_adam: Haha @LukeONien never change 😂😂
@zippy112: Straight red.
@Paulgroberts78: That should be a red
@ElliottWebster3: Easy red 🤣
@stevenhorwood1: Red card all day
@JackSmi35745971: How is that not a red
@F0rdy72: He’s one of those people….. 🤷
@L33D5WF2: Loves a handball
@2right3: He certainly doesn’t do ‘footballer’
@DanBurmby: Christ, how’s that not a red. Bloke is a liability
@EmerysBallers: How tf that wasn’t a red was beyond me absolutely shocking refereeing but luckily Watford still won without it
@adilangley: How the hell is that not a red card? Deliberate handball and the player through on goal behind him. Sunderland fans think he’s great when in reality, he’s horrendous. Gave it the big un before playing Newcastle and then disappeared in the actual game 🤦🏼♂️😂
@ayatollah_61: That’s a red card
@ElTel1973: In his defence, watching him play I could see why the Sunderland thanks love his attitude… also, there was a moment when his pass down the line didn’t come off and he must sworn about it, in front of the Lower GT … and he apologised profusely to the fans close to him
@AlfieBolding2: Just not even funny though is it he’s a liability
@NorwichPure: Can’t take him anywhere 🤣🤣🤣
@gazos1973: The ultimate Jekyll and Hyde footballer. Seems a decent, articulate lad off the pitch but on it a horrible shithouse. I’m all for it unless it’s against QPR
@SAFC_Luke_2703: I must say I love how he gets under other fans skin, never seen such genuine universal hatred over a player in my life 😭
— MLP (@MuhrensLeftPeg) April 28, 2024
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