Sunderland conceded a bizarre goal in the fifth minute but held on to draw 2-2 at Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday.
Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt gave Liverpool a controversial early lead after Sunderland was awarded a free kick inside its own half. Michael Turner gave the ball only a gentle knock in the direction of his goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who was some 30 meters away, Liverpool striker Fernando Torres intercepted and Kuyt collected the Spaniard's pass to score.
However, Sunderland players claimed Turner wasn't taking the free kick, but rolling it towards Mignolet to take it instead.
Sunderland's Darren Bent leveled with a 25th minute penalty and then headed home in the 48th, but Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard nodded an equalizer in the 64th.
The post-match discussions centered around Kuyt's goal, with Sunderland manager Steve Bruce placing most of the blame on referee Stuart Attwell.
''I've been in enough trouble so I don't want to talk about it but you all witnessed it and he got it wrong,'' Bruce told the Press Association. ''The free-kick was 25 yards from where the incident was and I think everyone in the ground realized that too.
''He has put his whistle to his mouth three times and if he is in doubt he should have given the free-kick to be taken in the right position.
''Maybe in the past a Liverpool team would have come back and said it was unfair and unsportsmanlike - I doubt it though. We are going to talk about this crazy goal and not the performance of the team, which was terrific.''
Liverpool had made a bright start with Torres rifling the ball into the net in the third minute after controlling Gerrard's free-kick on his chest and volleying home, only to be denied by an offside flag.
Kuyt's goal put Liverpool in front at Anfield but the lead last only 20 minutes before a cross by Ahmed Elmohamady struck Christian Poulsen's arm in the area - leading to a penalty which Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson described as ''compensatory'' after his side's contentious opener.
Bent converted the spot-kick and things went even better for Sunderland three minutes after the restart, when Bent headed home Nedum Onuoha's cross, getting in just ahead of Liverpool defender Glen Johnson.
Liverpool pushed forward in search of an equalizer and found it when Torres beat defender Phil Bardsley close to the right touchline and swung over an inviting cross which Gerrard headed in at the near post.
But Liverpool struggled to build momentum and a clash of heads between defenders Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel resulted in the former briefly leaving the field for stitches while his defensive partner was bandaged up.
Liverpool, at least, was now showing some desire and substitute David Ngog forced a low save out of Mignolet, Kuyt fired just wide, Turner cleared off the line from Ngog and Agger headed wide in a closing flourish.
But the result did little to lift the growing feeling of discontent in and around the club and a sit-in protest against the club's unpopular American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett at the final whistle only highlighted problems yet to be overcome.
In a further blow, Hodgson revealed after the game that newly-signed left back Paul Konchesky is set to miss two matches with a hamstring strain.
The Liverpool manager accepted that his side is still struggling for form.
''Had we won today we could have found ourselves in fourth or fifth place, although I don't think we are playing like a team in fourth or fifth place,'' said Hodgson. ''We have to start winning all games because the league is very tight.
''These days it is not a question of three or four teams dominating the league, it is getting harder and harder. Of course we are playing at home, we were 1-0 up and hopefully we would go on to build on that but unfortunately there was an opponent as well and they had something to say on the matter.''
