George Overhill

Sat 9 December 2023 14:40, UK

Dan Ballard’s foul on Josh Maja which saw the West Brom man taken off hurt was “reckless” and “naughty”, according to Kevin Phillips.

The former striker for both sides reacted at half-time on the Sky Sports match coverage after the Baggies forward’s first start for the club was ended after 36 minutes when he was chopped down from behind in the centre of the park.

Ballard left both feet and crashed into Maja with a scissoring motion and yet was only shown a yellow card in the first half at the Stadium of Light, with Phillips classing him “very lucky” to stay on the pitch.

Phillips said (1.29pm): “I have to say I thought it was a reckless challenge. I don’t think he needed to make it in the area of the pitch.

“As you see from this angle he actually leaves the ground. He’s [got] no intent of really winning that football there, that’s a naughty one.

“It’s ended in Maja having to go off and he’s not long come back from an injury. Players don’t roll around too often in the Championship, you can see that’s a bad one.

“I think Ballard can count himself very lucky there that it wasn’t more than a yellow.”

Crushing

It was pretty amazing that the challenge apparently wasn’t worthy of a red card, with players routinely dismissed for leaving both feet or scissor fouls from behind, let alone both in one.

That Ballard stayed on the pitch of course then meant it was the same man who put Sunderland ahead midway through the second half to, almost literally, add insult to injury.

For Maja it was a devastating development as the Nigeria international has only just returned from a long lay-off and looked to be finally establishing himself in the West Brom team, having scored his first goal for the club against Leicester City last week and been rewarded with his first start as a result.

Carlos Corberan will also be wondering whether he’ll have any attackers left soon, with Matt Phillips having torn his hamstring last week to be ruled out for four months, captain Jed Wallace currently out with a shoulder injury, and Daryl Dike still having not featured all season.

It has been a bruising pair of weekends in more ways than one for the Albion just as they looked to be mounting a real assault on the top spots in the Championship.

Corberan has overcome most of the hurdles put in his way in charge of the club, but a heartbreaking late defeat after matching the league-leaders one week, then a tough late loss in the North East the next, while players are being ruled out as fast as they come back into the side is making it more and more of an uphill struggle.

In other West Brom news, a January recruitment update has emerged at The Hawthorns after the club took another loan out.