Exclusive: FA ‘to charge’ Preston after controversial incident v Sunderland
Preston had 12 players on the pitch at one moment in their clash with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Romaine Mundle rescued a point for Sunderland in their 1-1 draw with Preston, though it wasn’t the actual game that caught the headlines.
Instead, much of the focus was on Preston reverting to the dark arts of football and seemingly getting away with it right until the end of the game when Freddie Woodman was booked for taking too long over a goal kick.
However, one incident in particular left everyone inside the Stadium of Light stunned, and it could lead to a charge for Preston.
Preston could be set for FA charge
Towards the latter stages of the game at the Stadium of Light, Preston were readying a series of substitutions, but a miscount from the officials actually saw the visitors with 12 players on the pitch momentarily.
The incident could lead to a charge for Preston, for introducing a substitute before the other player has left the pitch, according to Keith Hackett.
Speaking exclusively to Mackem News, Hackett said: “Why was an additional player on the field of play when the law on substitutions is clear? This is to ensure the appropriate number of players are in the field of play.
“To replace a player with a substitute, the following must be observed: the referee must be informed before any substitution is made. So, that extra player should be sanctioned for entering the field of play without permission.
“The fourth official standing in the technical area should have stopped that extra player coming onto the field of play and determined who has come off. Clearly, someone has sneaked onto the field without permission.
“Whilst I do not condone what has gone off here, I hope that the match officials involved will review what happened and how it can be avoided in the future.”
Sunderland deserving of their point v Preston
While the performance wasn’t their best, Sunderland still deserved something from the game, especially when considering the way Preston approached the clash.
| Sunderland v Preston | Goals | Shots | xG | Possession |
| Sunderland | 1 | 20 | 2.11 | 53% |
| Preston | 1 | 15 | 0.79 | 47% |
The visitors had very little intention to play football, and that was completely ignored by the officials who allowed it to go on throughout the night.
It means that the Black Cats are now three games unbeaten but will need to start finding some serious momentum to ensure they finish the season strongly.