Newcastle United defender Fabricio Coloccini will not serve a one-match ban after a successful appeal against his red card in Sunday’s 3-0 Wear-Tyne derby defeat to Sunderland.
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Coloccini, who will miss Saturday’s home game against Stoke City if he is suspended, is claiming that Fletcher was not denied a goalscoring opportunity because Rob Elliot, the goalkeeper, was about to collect the ball.
Tempers frayed at Sunderland after the Newcastle captain was given a straight red card in first-half injury time after bundling over Steven Fletcher as the striker raced towards goal.
Bragging rights were put on ice in a goalless Manchester derby, Tottenham Hotspur thrashed Bournemouth, while Sunderland brushed aside Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday.
The 61-year-old said: “We have taken full advantage of a piece of good fortune”.
“We knew the second half was going to be a lot easier with them down to 10, and we managed to capitalise on it”.
“It is disappointing because in the first half we played well”.
The official was not so reticent seconds later when Steven Fletcher went down under Coloccini’s challenge, and the Argentinian’s astonishment was compounded by a red card.
The match started with Liverpool on top of possession, but created little through the first half-hour.
McClaren said: “We were the better side by a distance”.
Yet it was essential for Allardyce to win this game and, the scoreline ultimately being all that counts, he won it comfortably to lift the club off bottom position. And it’s a double whammy, the penalty and 10 men.
“I think the fans can understand”.
“We’ve struggled at the beginning of the season, but I hope it will be much better from now”.
“Hopefully now we’ve got that first win, we can move onwards and upwards, and get three points next weekend against Everton”, the 28-year-old Englishman added.
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The way Newcastle dominated the first 45 minutes only darkened the mood of manager Steve McClaren, who was furious over referee Robert Madley’s decision seconds after he had turned down a penalty appeal at the other end.
