Alex Neil reacts to Dan Neil’s red card at Sheffield United

ALEX NEIL expects Dan Neil to have learned a valuable lesson from the first-half dismissal that transformed Sunderland’s 2-1 defeat at Sheffield United last night.

The Black Cats were the more threatening side for the opening half-hour at Bramall Lane, but the game changed in the 31st minute when Neil lost possession to James McAtee and received a straight red card for pulling back the Sheffield United midfielder to prevent him making a clear run on goal.

The Blades scored almost immediately through Anel Ahmedhodzic, and added a second goal at the start of the second half courtesy of a close-range finish from Max Lowe.

Sunderland rallied despite their numerical disadvantage, but while Lynden Gooch’s lofted finish gave them hope, they ultimately suffered their first league defeat of the season.

“I thought Dan was brilliant up until the red card,” said the Sunderland boss, who revealed Corry Evans, who would normally have played in Neil’s deep-lying midfield role, had been added to his side’s lengthening injury list. “He landed on things, he made tackles, covered the ground well and found good positions to link it and switch it.

“All the bits we asked him to do, he did really well. Unfortunately for him the ball comes in, it’s a slippy surface, it just takes off his left foot and the lad lands on it.

“It happens, it’s a learning curve for him. We’re frustrated for him, we know how good he is, and up until then he was great.”

While Sunderland could easily have folded after conceding so quickly after going down to ten men, they matched their opponents for goalscoring threat throughout the second half.

A triple change shortly before Gooch pulled a goal back helped give the Black Cats some added impetus, and while he was understandably disappointed with the final result, Neil left South Yorkshire more than satisfied with players’ efforts.

“I’m proud of the players and how they went about it,” he said. “We’ve made an error in the game and that can happen, particularly if you go and risk the ball like we did tonight. They capitalised on it, and the job then becomes really, really difficult at that point.

“But I thought the way the lads went about it, their effort, their understanding of still trying to carry a threat and to play when we had the opportunity to do so was brilliant – the effort levels were through the roof. I’ve absolutely no complaints in terms of what the players put up, I thought they were brilliant.”

Neil once again refused to comment on reports that Sunderland are close to completing the signing of Costa Rica international Jewison Bennette.

Central American media sources are reporting that the Black Cats have agreed a $1.3m (£1.07m) fee for the 18-year-old winger, who is the youngest international in Costa Rica’s history, and are set to agree the terms of a four-year deal.

Report & Ratings – Page 54