A FURIOUS Steve McClaren has claimed two incorrect decisions from referee Robert Madley condemned Newcastle United to a record-breaking sixth successive derby defeat at the hands of Sunderland.

On a controversial afternoon at the Stadium of Light, Madley issued Fabricio Coloccini with a straight red card on the stroke of half-time after the Newcastle skipper had shoulder-barged Steven Fletcher in the penalty area.

Adam Johnson scored the resultant spot-kick, and with Billy Jones and Fletcher adding further goals in the second half, Sunderland were able to celebrate a victory that enabled them to retain their stranglehold on the Wear-Tyne derby and climb above Newcastle in the Premier League table on goal difference.

McClaren felt Newcastle should have had a penalty of their own moments before Coloccini was dismissed, with Lee Cattermole appearing to handle the ball and pull back Georginio Wijnaldum in the area, and after he remonstrated with Madley on the pitch shortly after the half-time whistle, the Magpies head coach admitted he had rarely felt more angry after a game.

“I don’t think frustrated would be the right word – I’m angry and disappointed because two decisions have cost us a game in which we were totally dominant,” said McClaren. “We looked a very good side and delivered the perfect performance in the first half. I’ve never controlled one as much.

“We should have had a penalty with Georginio Wijnaldum, but then 30 seconds later we got a penalty given against us which was in my opinion wrong and unbelievable. You lose a game because of that.

“It’s simple – in my opinion, the referee got it wrong. Referees are part and parcel of the game, but while you can control your performance, you can’t control the referee and they can affect the result. And they have done today.

“I’ve seen lots of challenges like that, in the game, in every game. If it’s outside the box, it’s never given. And it’s a double whammy because it’s a penalty and it’s ten men. It’s very, very difficult.”

Newcastle’s main frustration related to the way in which Madley interpreted Coloccini’s penalty-area barge on Fletcher as the Scotsman raced into the area to reach Jermain Defoe’s through ball.

There was definite contact between the two players, and Fletcher would almost certainly have got to the ball had Coloccini not pushed into him. Whether he would have got a shot away, with Rob Elliot advancing off his line, is a moot point.

The FA rule about impeding an opponent says: “A player who places himself between an opponents and the ball for tactical reasons has not committed an offence as long as the ball is kept within playing distance and the player does not hold off the opponent with his arms or body. If the ball is within playing distance, the player may be fairly charged by an opponent.”

Madley clearly felt Coloccini’s actions were unfair, and because he interpreted the Argentinian as the last defender, the official felt compelled to dismiss Newcastle’s skipper.

Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce felt the referee followed the letter of the law correctly, although he was forced to concede it was extremely harsh on Newcastle to be reduced to ten men.

“I think that we’ve taken full advantage of a piece of good fortune,” said Allardyce. “I thought it was a foul, because I thought if he hadn’t made contact with him, Steven Fletcher would have scored.

“It was on his left foot, his best side, and he scored a very good third goal. It’s a bit harsh sending him off, but sadly that’s the rules. We’ve taken full advantage of that, and after getting a harsh decision against us last weekend (at West Brom), we’ve maybe got one in our favour today.

“I thought it was a penalty, but the unfortunate thing is sending him off. Is it really a sending off? Because of the rules, if it’s a goalscoring opportunity, you have to send him off, but for me, the penalty is enough.

“It’s not the referee that makes the rules though, it’s FIFA and UEFA. But I don’t particularly like that rule, and I never have. Eleven vs eleven is what we all want, not ten vs eleven. I know it’s gone in our favour today, but I thought the penalty was enough and you don’t have to send him off.”

Allardyce was understandably delighted to extend Sunderland’s derby winning run to six matches, after admitting he feared the law of averages might prevent him from keeping it going.

“The big thing is to take advantage of your fortune, and when the Sunderland fans wake up tomorrow, they won’t be worried about any of that, will they,” he said. “We’ve won, and we’ve kept the record going with six wins on the trot.

“I’m the fourth manager to be in charge of the club and beat our local rivals in their second game. I find that a bizarre statistic, but it’s very nice to have kept it going.”