Source: Telegraph
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez: beach ball goal against Sunderland had to be awarded
It was the pivotal moment in the match and came when Bent met Andy Reid's fifth-minute cross and fired towards goal.
Reina looked to have it covered, until the ball hit the beach ball, and to the goalkeeper's horror, span past him and into the net.
Liverpool's players protested, but while they could consider themselves unfortunate in that instance, there was little doubt Sunderland deserved to win the game.
On another day, Bent might have claimed at least a hat-trick after repeatedly finding space and time inside the box, and it was mainly thanks to Reina and the woodwork that he did not.
By contrast, Liverpool, without the injured Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, offered little as an attacking force until deep into seven minutes of added time when Craig Gordon had to make an excellent double save from Dirk Kuyt and substitute David Ngog.
Benitez was philosophical when asked about the beach ball incident.
He said: "It's a very technical question. It could be a goal, it's difficult to say. In this case, it has to be a goal.
"These things can happen in a lot of games. It was a bad situation for us - it was in the middle (of the goal) and it was very influential.
"But we didn't play well, that is the main thing for me."
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce revealed he had been told the goal should have been disallowed and a drop ball awarded, but he was not allowing that to spoil his night.
He said: "Listen, I thought it was a deflection off a player. I have to say when I have just seen it there, if anybody knew that rule - that it is supposed to be a drop ball - then you are a saddo.
"They have got it on telly with the guy who threw it on and it's got Liverpool crests all over it. What a shame."
Bruce and Benitez were involved in a touchline clash during the match, but the Sunderland manager described it as "handbags".
Bruce, who saw Kenwyne Jones and Lee Cattermole both carried off injured, became embroiled in a furious touchline debate with Benitez when the Spaniard apparently complained about the length of time for which Jones was treated on the pitch.
Bruce said: "It was handbags. It's all over, it's done.
"You do things in the heat of the moment which, when you look back at it, you think, 'Maybe I shouldn't have done that', but there you go."
Benitez gave his point of view, and suggested Bruce had inflamed the situation.
He said: "I didn't have any argument with him (Bruce). I was just asking for time because three or four times they were on the ground - in 10 minutes, three or four times, the game was stopped.
"I was talking with the fourth official and he (Bruce) was coming and he wanted to argue with me.
"I was surprised because I was talking with the fourth official about the time."
Of the result, Bruce said: "I thought we deserved it, I hope that's not just going to be the headline (the goal).
"In the second half, we had three one-on-ones - Darren went round the goalkeeper twice, he hit the post and Reina got back and made a great save, Steed (Malbranque) had a wonderful chance and I was just thinking, 'We need to take the second one'.
"But my goalkeeper only had one save to make - it was a good one - and overall, I thought we thoroughly deserved the victory."
