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Carlos Cuellar own goal gifts Steve Bruce revenge against Sunderland
STEVE BRUCE settled another old score with his native North-east – but he had all the help in the world from his former club.
The Hull boss enjoyed a 3-2 win at boyhood favourites Newcastle in September on his first visit since suffering a 5-1 humiliation there with Sunderland on Hallowe’en 2010.
And yesterday he had the satisfaction of beating the Black Cats in his first game against them after they sacked him as manager nearly two years ago.
But Gus Poyet’s side imploded in the most dramatic fashion. Even by Sunderland’s disastrous standards, the first half beggared belief.
Centre-back Carlos Cuellar scored a 25th-minute own goal, keeper Keiren Westwood went off injured – and midfielder Lee Cattermole and left-back Andrea Dossena were sent off in first-half stoppage time for dreadful tackles.
After that, it was always largely going to be damage-limitation for the nine-man visitors, who crashed back to earth with an almighty ban.
It was the sixth sending-off of Cattermole’s Sunderland career and Bruce, who signed him for the Black Cats, said: “The referee, in my opinion, is right.
“We all know what I think of Lee as a player. In my day, it might have been a booking.”
When asked if the red cards were justified, Poyet said: “Cattermole no, Dossena, yes.”