Former Sunderland winger Martin Smith has come to the defence of Dan Ballard following his dismissal for a hair-pulling incident on Tolu Arokodare during Sunderland’s 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The controversial moment occurred in the 24th minute when the centre-back was shown a red card after pulling Arokodare’s hair while contesting for the ball. 

The decision proved pivotal, shifting momentum in favour of Wolves, who capitalised on their numerical advantage in the second half. 

Uruguayan defender Santiago Bueno netted the equaliser after Nordi Mukiele had earlier given Sunderland the lead with a first-half header.

Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, Smith argued that the incident lacked intent, suggesting it was part of the physical nature of the game. 

"It's not intentional," Smith said. "You're grappling with players and you don't know what you're grabbing. You haven't got a second to think."

Smith added that while the rules mandate a dismissal, such incidents should be viewed within the context of in-game grappling rather than deliberate misconduct.

"That should be it, the managers should be saying to strikers 'I want your hair growing for that reason'!

"That's not intentional by Ballard and if it happens again and it's not intentional, you're going off," he highlighted. 

For Arokodare, the match marked a positive outing following recent struggles. 

The Nigerian International, who joined Wolves from KRC Genk in September 2025, made a rare start and played a key role in the defining moment of the game. 

The 25-year-old will take encouragement from his contribution as he looks to re-establish himself in the Wolves lineup, especially following recent tensions involving Mateus Mané.

Adeyemi Adewale