SUNDERLAND have confirmed they will lodge an appeal against Wes Brown's controversial sending off in the Black Cats' 2-0 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday.

Referee Roger East sent off Brown when it was in fact John O'Shea who had pulled down Radamel Falcao in the area, but East defended his decision on Saturday evening, claiming that Brown fouled Falcao as he was about to shoot.

Sunderland head coach Gus Poyet said the club would look at the footage and make a decision on whether to appeal against the dismissal, and confirmed on Sunday afternoon that they will contest the one-match ban which currently sees the former Manchester United defender missing Tuesday night's Premier League fixture at Hull City.

“I just saw one clip, so we need to analyse it properly – the action, the report from the referee, what he told the players," said Poyet after the game on Saturday. "He told the players there were two fouls – one committed by John O'Shea and one by Wes Brown. He gave the Wes Borwn one, that's why he got sent off.

“Wes Brown didn't touch anyone, so I don't know what he saw.

“If the referee tells you something that didn't happen, I suppose you try to tell him it didn't happen.

“We need to be fair with the players but we need to realise there's a report and if there's something the referee saw that all of us didn't think happened."

The referee took the unusual step of issuing a statement on Saturday evening to explain his decision.

The statement from the PGMOL, the referees' body, read: "From his position Roger East, the match referee, believed he saw contact from John O'Shea and Wes Brown on Radamel Falcao.

"As he thought Brown made a foul on Falcao while he was in the act of shooting, he dismissed Brown.

"After the incident the match referee consulted with his team of officials but none were better placed to offer guidance."