Sunderland boss unhappy with striker Darren bent handing his penalty-taking job to teammate
Sunderland boss unhappy with striker Darren bent handing his penalty-taking job to teammateSunderland boss Steve Bruce was not a happy man after leading scorer Darren Bent handed his penalty-taking job over to Kenwyne Jones.
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Two Good: Sunderland's Darren Bent (right) tries to get the ball away from Wolverhampton Wanderers' Michael Mancienne during their English Premier League match at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland yesterday. Bent scored twice as Sunderland won 5-2. pic/afp |
The former Tottenham striker had already converted a ninth-minute spot-kick when he won a second three minutes into the second half.
However, with Jones pleading for the ball, he handed it over and the Trinidad and Tobago international duly dispatched it.
Bruce, whose side went on to beat Wolves 5-2, did not see the incident because he does not watch penalties, but he was not impressed when assistant Eric Black had told him what had happened.
"That's the mentality that we have to change. We don't just throw the ball to somebody else because he wants to score a goal. That's something you do on a pitch with your mates, not in the Premier League. We have got one of the best penalty-takers in the country in Darren, so that won't happen again, that's for sure.
There would have been absolute hell to pay if he had missed. It's not right.
"Okay, if you are 5-0 up or 6-0 up or whatever, but it was an important part of the game and we have got a top, top-class penalty-taker who has never missed one, I don't think, in his career, throwing the ball away."
Bruce's displeasure was eased by a result which took his side to 12 points from their first seven games.
