Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick admits 'bitter disappointment' over Sunderland derby defeat

Chris Rigg wrote himself into Wear-Tees derby folklore as the 17-year-old’s outrageous back-heeled winner secured Sunderland a 1-0 victory at the Stadium of Light.

His instinctive 24th-minute finish settled a tight encounter in the home side’s favour to erase the disappointment of last weekend’s defeat at Plymouth and put their early-season charge back on track.

The Teessiders were in it until the death at the Stadium of Light but, unlike Regis Le Bris’ men, were unable to find the cutting edge to get something from the game.

Carrick was frustrated to have come away empty-handed after what he felt was a creditable display.

“We’re bitterly disappointed,” said Carrick. "To come here and lose whatever way we lose is really disappointing. We didn’t come to do that and we understand what the game is, so we can’t hide thatt.”

Carrick was happy with much of what he saw but mystified by referee Simon Hooper’s decision only to book Trai Hume for an ugly eighth-minute lunge at Emmanuel Latte Lath.

Carrick said: “For me, it’s when is that time, when is that line of time when it’s a game like this and they say, ‘Oh, it’s early and it’s a yellow card, I don’t want to send someone off’, to when is that time when it’s a red card?

“I don’t know when that is, it’s a bit of a grey area for me – if that was the reason why it gets made – I don’t understand the time when it changes.”

Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Mepham, O'Nien, Cirkin, Neil, Bellingham, Roberts (Isidor 81), Rigg (Ballard 90), Mundle, Mayenda. Unused substitutes: Moore, Rusyn, Aleksic, Hjelde, Watson, Ogunsuyi, Jones.

Middlesbrough: Dieng, Ayling, Edmundson, Clarke, Borges, Morris, Hackney, Jones (Doak 62), Conway, Azaz (Hamilton 62), Latte Lath (Burgzorg 74). Unused substitutes: Brynn, Barlaser, McGree, Dijksteel, Hunt, McCabe.

Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).