DAVID MEYLER refused to condemn Andrea Dossena’s challenge on him which earned Sunderland their second of two red cards in their defeat against Meyler’s Hull City.

The former Black Cats midfielder was a late addition to the Tigers’ line-up after Sone Aluko broke down in the pre-match build-up, and his reward was a stamp from Italian left-back Dossena.

Meyler, who still attends the odd Sunderland game and was in the crowd when the Black Cats won 3-0 at Newcastle United last season, stopped short of criticising the Dossena challenge, although he said it ‘wasn’t clever’.

“I think I've been lucky,” said Meyler, who suffered two major knee injuries while a Sunderland player. “Listen, it happens. I have no complaints. I'll let the FA deal with it. It was very sore in the second half and I couldn't get round quite as well.

“It's good to be playing regularly but I'm one of those people who just wants to see the team and the lads doing well and we've been getting results.”

Victory over his old team has opened up a ten-point gap, which Meyler feels will be crucial in the second half of the campaign.

“The dressing room was buzzing,” said Meyler, who joined Paul McShane and Ahmed Elmohamady in facing his old club. “It was a very important three points. And of course there's a few ex-Sunderland lads in there.

“But it's the win that matters because that keeps us ten points above Sunderland and Crystal Palace and that's a good gap at this stage of the season.”

Meanwhile, Bruce was delighted to gain victory over the club that sacked him in 2011.

“It was a huge one for us,” said Bruce. “We’ve restored that 10-point gap over Sunderland, which at this stage of the season sounds easy to recoup. But for teams at the bottom end of the table it’s very difficult to win three games and get a draw.

“We’ve got that above them and that’s all I was interested in.

“It was probably the first time this season we’ve gone in as favourites and with a bit of expectation on us.

“We were helped, of course, and it could have been one of those horrible afternoons if Harper had not pulled off the save, but it was our day.

The free-kick near the end I was thinking ‘Here we go’ but thankfully Him up there made it our day.”