Sunderland manager Chris Coleman has hit out at referee Simon Hooper for denying his side a penalty in their 3-1 defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

The former Wales boss insisted that his team should have been awarded a spot kick with the scoreline at 2-1 for a Barry Bannan challenge on Lynden Gooch in the box.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Coleman claimed that Hooper ruling in favour of the Owls cost his side the game.

"Performance-wise, there isn't much more I could have asked of them. They did more than enough to come away with a result," he said.

"I have sat here many times and not been able to say that because we hadn't performed but I couldn't say that today. You can fault the referee, though and I never blame referees for results, I don't. But I thought he was short today.

"The penalty incident was a defining moment; we get a penalty, they go to ten men, and we end up with nothing. That was hugely disappointing. "I can't understand why he didn't make the decision."

The defeat leaves Sunderland second-bottom of the Championship, five points away from a position of safety with six games left to play.