Ross Stewart has dismissed comments from Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick that claimed he was not fouled for the penalty in Sunderland’s win.
Sunderland beat the Teessiders 2-0 at the Stadium of Light, with the main flashpoint happening early in the second half.
Stewart raced onto a Patrick Roberts through-ball and was hauled down by 'Boro defender Dael Fry. The referee deemed it was both a foul and inside the box, and duly awarded Sunderland a penalty before brandishing the red card to Fry.
Carrick was livid after the game, saying: “For the sending-off, I don’t think Dael Fry has made any attempt to bring him down.
“There wasn’t a push, there wasn’t a pull, there wasn’t a trip. He is out of the box as everyone can see.”
Stewart, who scored from the resulting penalty via a rebound, has had his say on the incident, and he rebukes any idea that there wasn’t a foul.
“I was running through on goal and the defender pulls me down,” Stewart told Sky Sports. “Whether it was in or outside the box I’ve not seen it back but you are at risk of giving away a penalty.
“It was good for us and obviously I was able to step up and score second time around.
“The keeper has made a really good save and it’s one of them. I've had a bit of luck and it’s fallen to me but you’ll take them all day to get the goal. On top of the red card it set us up for a great win.”
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