Martin O'Neill has questioned comments made by fellow manager Alan Pardew following the 1-1 Tyne-Wear derby draw on Sunday.
Newcastle United boss Pardew had said that Sunderland set an "ugly" tone for the match from the outset, with captain Lee Cattermole receiving a yellow card in the opening 40 seconds.
O'Neill disagrees, however, and told BBC Newcastle: "The half-time stats are a total contradiction to what their manager said. They've twice the number of bookings we have, and twice as many fouls.
"It was an extraordinary analysis of the game, and that's what I've set out to defend, as much as anything else.
"You think you've watched the game, given a reasonable analysis, certainly your own viewpoint, Then you hear the opposition manager saying that Sunderland had a game plan to upset them, to unnerve them, to basically - and he used the word 'ugly' - attempt to kick them off the pitch."
The Northern Irishman, who came face-to-face with Pardew at one point, was particularly unhappy with Cheick Tiote after the Magpies midfielder's reaction to Sessegnon elbowing him.
"Sessegnon deserved to be sent off the pitch, I said that at the time, because he raised his arm in retaliation," O'Neill added. "He's flung an arm back in the manner that, if the referee sees, he has no option but to send him off.
"Tiote, this 'hard man' of the Premier League, has clutched part of his anatomy that wasn't even touched - he was hit between the chest and neck - enough to hit a fly over.
"He's gone down two and a half seconds after the incident, and rolled around 14 times."
Sunderland looked set to win the game despite their numerical disadvantage but Shola Ameboi poked home late on to nick a point.
Pascal Lemesre
