THE wristband West Ham striker Sergei Rebrov wore at the Stadium of Light was in support of the Orange Revolution back in his native Ukraine and to protest against the country's pro-Russian prime minister Viktor Yanukovich.

Next weekend Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy could well be seen donning a similar fashion accessory to publicly campaign against match officials entering dressing rooms before matches to ask for a player's autograph.

It is claimed referee Graham Salisbury did just that prior to the Championship game of the day on Saturday in an attempt to have a book marked with the print of one of this country's best strikers over the past decade.

And on a day that Steve Caldwell was controversially red carded, Sunderland lost their unbeaten home record and missed out on the chance to go top, it left McCarthy venting his anger to the waiting press.

"I've been told, now this probably didn't have any bearing on the sending off decision, that the referee went into the West Ham dressing room before the game to get a book signed from Teddy Sheringham, which I always find really pleasing," said McCarthy.

"I'm not saying that that had any bearing on the decision. But I think that is beneath contempt if I'm being honest. We come here on a level playing field and I'm just looking for fairness.

"I don't like to see it and I wouldn't have had anyone coming in our dressing room before the game. I'm not happy about it. It won't change the result or the decision. But I'm not happy about it."

Ideally, Rebrov would not have been playing on Saturday nor would he have played a week earlier at Watford.

The former Tottenham forward would have preferred to have been in Kiev with thousands of his fellow countrymen protesting against massively rigged presidential elections.

But an injury crisis at Upton Park meant manager Alan Pardew had to call on him and ironically he had an enormous part to play in the decision that changed the game that was struggling to find a breakthrough.

Rebrov's late foul on Stephen Wright earned the forward a booking, but as the ball rolled away from the incident Luke Chadwick grabbed a hold of it.

After a quick look towards the referee, Caldwell pushed the former Manchester United winger to the floor before appearing to stamp on him.

Mr Salisbury immediately brandished the red card four minutes before half-time. Much to the annoyance of McCarthy, Caldwell and the rest of the Sunderland dressing room.

"I asked Steve if he stamped on him and he said absolutely not. He moves the ball and he has not stamped on Chadwick," said McCarthy, who rightly claimed Chadwick should have also seen red for preventing a quick free-kick after the player had been booked just moments earlier for dissent.

Whether Sunderland would have gone on to win, draw or lose the game with a full compliment is irrelevant.

But it was a decision that clearly had a massive effect on events.

Losing such an influential centre-back at an important time meant the Black Cats came out for the second half with Danny Collins, a £125,000 buy from Chester City, switched into the middle while George McCartney was moved back to his more familiar left back role.

And it was a moment of inexperience from Collins that allowed the Hammers, now just three points behind third-placed Sunderland, to grab the vital breakthrough with a little over half an hour remaining.

The defender dallied, Rebrov toe-poked the ball into Chadwick's path. He then fed the unmarked Marlon Harewood who had the simple task of side-footing past Thomas Myhre from eight yards.

To Sunderland's credit the ten men pushed for an equaliser but found the West Ham rearguard - led by Rio's brother Anton Ferdinand and Darren Powell, the man who scored the winner for Crystal Palace on Wearside in the play-offs in May - tough to crack.

One last foray forward for Sunderland resulted in a free-kick, which was poorly taken by Liam Lawrence.

The visitors quickly counter attacked starting with Steve Lomas and ending with Sheringham signing off in style with a simple finish to complete the victory.

It was the first defeat in 15 on home soil for McCarthy's men and the boss knew exactly who to blame.

"It effects the course of the game when anyone is sent off.

"This changed the game. I will appeal against the decision. Whether it does me any good I don't know. But it won't change the result," he said.

A trip to Cardiff is next on the agenda and a brightly coloured wristband could well be the order of the day.

Result: Sunderland 0 West Ham United 2.

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