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Sunderland were reduced to ten men after Dan Ballard was adjudged to have pulled Tolu Arokodare’s hair
The Premier League have confirmed Dan Ballard’s red card in Sunderland’s top-flight clash with Wolves was due to pulling Tolu Arokodare’s hair at Molineux.
The Black Cats defender was given his marching orders just 24 minutes into the game, with Regis Le Bris’ side leading thanks to Nordi Mukiele’s header after 17 minutes.
The Wearsiders were in complete control when Ballard was sent off after a VAR review adjudged the defender to have pulled the Wolves’ striker’s hair during a tussle for the ball.
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The two men were contesting a long ball up the field, when Ballard pulled some of Arokodare’s hair. He stayed on the pitch after the original incident, but following a review, the Sunderland defender was shown a straight.
A statement from the Premier League read: “After VAR review, the referee issued a red card to Ballard for violent conduct.
“Referee announcement: ‘After review, Sunderland 5 clearly pulls the hair of the Wolves player. Final decision is red card, violent conduct.'”
On commentary, former Wimbledon striker Efan Ekoku called Ballard ‘foolish’ for pulling his opponents hair, though it was not a act of violence.
Ballard was visibly disappointed as he made his way off the pitch. The Sunderland defender remonstrated with referee Paul Tierney, pleading his innocence.
The FA are clamping down on such incidents, after Lisandro Martinez was shown a red card for pulling Calvert-Lewin’s hair in an incident last month.
They say it ‘ought not to be tolerated’ and ‘in the wider interests it should be discouraged through consistent punishment.’
Coincidentally, Tierney was the same official that sent off the Man United defender last month, with interim boss Michael Carrick left furious by that decision.
He told Sky Sports: “It’s not a pull, it’s not a tug, it’s not aggressive, he touches it and gets sent off. Worst of all is he was sent to overturn it as a clear and obvious error. It’s shocking.
“He’s off-balance because of that, he half touches the back of his hair which pulls the bobble out and leads it to look like – I don’t even know what it looks like.
“That’s two games in a row we’ve had those decisions go against us, but that one was one of the worst I’ve seen.”
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