Overreaction was embarrassing says Steve Bruce

Nov 2 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

“When you are missing Cana, (the injured) Lee Cattermole and Kenwyne, they are a big part of our team but we have to deal with it,” he admitted.

“Like Reidy (Andy Reid) has shown, when someone is handed his chance – like he was at Norwich – they have to grab it. We have to deal with it, it’s as simple as that.”

Sunderland were so inspired by Jones’ dismissal they ought to have won comfortably rather than drawn 2-2. But Bruce refused to blame chief culprit Darren Bent.

“We should have won the game because we had enough chances to,” he said. “We had two in the first few minutes of the second half, possbily five or six in that half – great chances.

“I was worried about fatigue after playing extra-time on Tuesday but it just goes to show all this nonsene that you have got to rest players.

“Benty has won so many games for us we have all been talking about him for months. It was not his day but the great thing about any striker is to keep getting up and keep getting in there. I thought he was magnificent on his own up there. Half the chances he created himself and it was him who made the second goal, wasn’t it?”