Sunderland 1-3 Hull City: Bogeyman Marriner Strikes Again

Sunderland sank to their traditional post-derby joy defeat to Hull City, and did so in traditional inexplicably annoying circumstances.

Gus Poyet's men didn't play well by any stretch of the imagination, but were dealt a cruel hand by Lady Luck and an also traditional knife in the chest by the constantly appalling Andre Marriner.

It all got off to such a good start, too. Derby day hero Adam Johnson had the ball in the net after just 30 seconds, capitalising upon a mistake by Hull skipper Curtis Davies to round the goalkeeper and slot home.

However, it wasn't built upon. Gaston Ramirez fired a long range shot on the Sunderland goal, which Costel Pantilimon appeared to have fully covered. However, it bounced up and over the giant Romanian off a divit in the pitch before nestling in the bottom corner.

From there on in, Andre Marriner took centre stage, as he tends the like to do when Sunderland are around.

He waved away two very strong handball shouts in the Hull penalty box, the first of which was inexcusable. Alex Bruce counldn't have more clearly bounced the ball away with his hand if he was making a basketball interception. No decision.

AFter the break, Sunderland only got worse. Marriner was again complicit in the decisive moment of the game, though. Jordi Gomez won the ball as clean as you like on the edge of his box, but a free kick was awarded against him.

It was tipped over my Pantilimon, but Sunderland never managed to get out afterward. Corners followed, and an unmarked James Chester headed in the second. By the time Nikica Jelavic scored the third on the break, no one cared any more.

Sunderland were bad, and we have never had any problem saying that. In fact, we've had to far more often than is reasonable to accept over the years. However, Marriner was worse - again.