Steven Fletcher says referee right to send off Fabricio Coloccini

Steven Fletcher insists referee Rob Madley was correct to award a penalty and send off Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini in Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby.

The Black Cats took full advantage of two refereeing decisions during a frenzied conclusion to the first half - in which they had been decidedly second-best - to belatedly kickstart their campaign in style with a 3-0 victory at the Stadium of Light.

Fletcher was at the heart of the game's pivotal moment in first-half injury time when, seconds after team-mate Lee Cattermole had survived a double appeal for a penalty, he went to ground under Coloccini's shoulder charge and saw Madley point to the spot and produce a red card.

Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce thought the decision was technically correct but worthy only of a penalty - not a red card - while opposite number Steve McClaren was adamant the challenge was not even a foul and the Magpies have appealed against the decision.

Fletcher, however, was convinced the official had got it right.

He said: "I was just looking at the ball, so I didn't know he was coming. When you're not expecting it, it's going to be a harder hit.

"He knocked me off. I think he just tried to stop me getting to the ball. It's a free-kick anywhere else, so why not a penalty?"

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But Fletcher, who went on to score Sunderland's third goal, said the club's first Premier League victory of the season was all the more sweeter as it had come in a derby.

The Scotland international said: "We needed the result, but it's obviously even better when it's against your rivals.

"Newcastle put us on the back foot in the first 30 minutes, but when we got the penalty, the game changed.

"We knew the second half was going to be a lot easier with them down to 10, and we managed to capitalise on it."