Phil Parkinson reveals what he told referee James Adcock after controversial Sunderland decisions

The official was booed off at half-time after a number of controversial decisions in the first half - not least the decision to book Charlie Wyke for simulation when he appeared to be tripped.

And Parkinson was quick to share his theory of referee’s ‘trying too hard’ at the Stadium of Light with Adcock following the match, but admitted he did feel the official improved after a ‘poor’ opening twenty minutes.

“I thought he was poor at the start,” said the Sunderland boss, when quizzed on his performance.

“That was my assessment in the first twenty minute. Charlie Wyke’s booking was a strange call, and we’ve looked at that back.

“After that, I thought he did okay.

“Like I’ve just said to him, the first twenty minutes - we get it quite a bit here, where the refs try too hard to show they’re not being affected by the crowd.”

And Parkinson felt his side, too, were trying too hard during a first half performance which lacked the incision the Black Cats have shown in recent weeks.

The Sunderland boss, however, still felt his side deserved to win the game after a vastly improved second period.

“I just felt that we were almost trying too hard at times.

“That extra touch, we were a little bit hurried and sometimes when you’re like that you don’t see the picture when the ball comes to you.

“In the second half, we maintained the same kind of intensity without the ball but relaxed and calmed down with it.

“We moved the ball quicker and our decision-making was a lot better.

“But sometimes that happen. They’re an honest group of players and it was just important at half-time that we settled everybody down and we played in the manner that we expect from the lads.”

“I thought some of the football we played was good, even though we didn’t get a goal,” he continued.

“In the second half I thought we probably got in enough good positions to win the game.

“But you have to stick the ball in the net to do that.”