'Sucker punched' - Middlesbrough boss unhappy following Sunderland fightback

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick described the Sunderland equaliser against his team as ‘a sucker punch’.

Carrick saw his side take the lead through Marcus Forss’ fine opener, but Nazariy Rusyn equalised from range late on, perhaps with a little help from Boro ‘keeper Tom Glover.

Speaking after the game, Carrick struggled to contain his disappointment as he felt his side completely dominated the second half and deserved all the points.

It’s fair to say that Sunderland counterpart Michael Beale disagreed, but Carrick was adamant his side had been robbed.

“It’s frustrating, massively so,” Carrick said about Sunderland’s fightback at the Riverside. We need to start getting what we deserve from games.

“It feels like we’re losing points that we should be gaining. It shows in the league table where we are, but I do feel like that there are too many games where we’ve put ourselves in a good position, do a lot of good things, gain control and look dangerous and then don’t give them an awful lot in the second half.

"But then we come away with that result. Without a doubt, it’s disappointing. I feel for the boys because they put a lot into the game and showed a lot of quality, especially second half, to control it fully. To not come away with the win is a disappointing one.

“Both ends of the pitch make the difference in the end, but I thought in between that, as well as the movement and the chances we created, it was really pleasing.

“We looked dangerous and felt there was more in it for us, but of course, when we’re on top and so in control, the second goal would have been the one. It didn’t quite come and a sucker punch really, is the difference."

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