Tony Mowbray shrugged off the controversy surrounding Sunderland's penalty equaliser against Luton Town, insisting the Black Cats have had more than their fair share of bad decisions go against them this season. Mowbray was furious in midweek when Sheffield United won 2-1 at the Stadium of Light and the Blades' second goal was clearly offside.
Today it was the turn of Luton boss Rob Edwards to complain about a key decision, with the visitors insisting that they had been hard-done-by when referee Scott Oldham pointed to the spot five minutes from time after spotting a tug by Amari Bell on Amad. Amad stepped up to convert, cancelling out Alfie Doughty's goal early in the second half.
"Whether it was a penalty or not, ultimately it was given," said Mowbray. "We've had enough bad decisions go against us, going back to midweek there, so you take them when they come, we scored and we take the point and move on.
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"We got there in the end. Was it a penalty or wasn't it a penalty? I don't really go in there and watch stuff [replays].
"My opinion is that I don't think we deserved to lose the game, so we'll take the point and move on."
Mowbray felt that Sunderland did not show enough energy in the first half and, with his side trailing 20 minutes from time, he made a quadruple substitution - sending on Alex Pritchard, Jewison Bennette, Lynden Gooch, and Pierre Ekwah - and changed formation in an attempt to inspire a comeback. He said: "Ultimately, it was probably the substitutions today that gave them a spark and that energy that allowed us to push on.
"I have to be careful with this inexperienced group that I am not overly critical of them. And yet it seemed [in the first half] a bit pedestrian, a bit slow, not getting through, not getting forward enough, too slow across the back.
"I don't want to go in at half-time blasting all the time because when you work with young players you have to encourage them and give them belief."
Sunderland fell behind when, following a short free-kick routine, Doughty fired a shot through a crowded penalty area which beat the unsighted Anthony Patterson. Mowbray said: "I think we were unfortunate to be behind, to be honest.
"I don't think either team looked like they were out there, going to score at any moment. A free-kick, through bodies, the keeper didn't see it until really late and it was in the net.
"We needed to react, and we just needed more energy on the pitch, that was what it was - it wasn't replacing people because they weren't doing well. We changed formation, kept the width, and we ended up playing 3-5-2 with [Jack] Clarke and Jewison [Bennette] down the middle when the wide players crossed it."
Mowbray also praised the Sunderland fans for getting behind the team even when they were behind, and credited them with playing a part in their side's comeback. He said: "I think it's right to say that the supporters really played a part today.
"I felt as though, at 1-0 down, they really got behind the team - and I hope that's because they see the ingredients of the team and they see a team that is fighting and working hard for the football club. I don't normally praise the supporters - and not because I don't appreciate them - but I really felt it today, I stood there and thought 'wow, they were there with the team right in the middle of it'.
"Hopefully that's part of the reason we got back in it and didn't lose the match."
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