Full time: Manchester United 2 Sunderland 0

SUNDERLAND lost 2-0 against Manchester United at Old Trafford, but the game will be remembered for a bizarre decision by referee Roger East who sent off the wrong Black Cats player in yet another incident involving match officials.

Gus Poyet’s side had a goal ruled out incorrectly last weekend against West Bromwich Albion, and the man in the middle was once more at thecentre of attention when East dismissed Wes Brown after John O’Shea had pulled down Radamel Falcao inside the area.

Wayne Rooney converted the spot-kick and added a second later on to leave Sunderland three points off the drop zone.

United had their chances in the opening half, but Sunderland defended manfully to frustrate their hosts.

The Black Cats denied a succession of United chances, with Seb Larsson and O’Shea clearing off the line as Louis van Gaal’s side poured forward.

But Sunderland were not just a defensive unit in the first half, they had chances of their own, Connor Wickham forcing a save out of David De Gea after a decent counter-attack, while Jermain Defoe was denied by the Spaniard after Brown robbed Radamel Falcao to slip in the former England striker.

The second half lacked the intensity from the opening 45 minutes, but the game burst into life on 65 minutes when O’Shea hauled down Falcao in the area. East pointed to the spot before inexplicably sending off Brown, who was involved in the tangle but by no means culpable for the penalty.

A penalty it certainly was, however, and Rooney made no mistake with the spot kick, firing low to Costel Pantilimon’s right.

The Romanian keeper saved well from substitute Adnan Januzaj moments later as United turned the screw with their numerical advantage.

Sunderland showed little signs of recovery and the game was put beyond doubt on 84 minutes when Rooney headed home after Pantilimon pushed Januzaj’s shot into the path of the England skipper.

Ander Herrera thought he had scored United’s third but was ruled offside in injury time.

MANCHESTER UNITED (4-4-2): De Gea; Valencia, Evans, Smalling, Rojo; Di Maria (Januzaj 46), Herrera, Blind, Young; Rooney (Mata 86), Falcao (Fellaini 67). Subs: Lindegaard, Carrick, McNair, Wilson.

SUNDERLAND (4-3-3): Pantilimon; Reveillere, Brown, O'Shea, van Aanholt; Cattermole, Larsson, Gomez; Johnson (Fletcher 81), Defoe (Vergini 67), Wickham (Graham 67). Substitutes: Bridcutt, Coates, Mannone, Watmore.

Attendance: 75,344