David Moyes takes swipe at referees after shock League Cup loss Sunderland: Manchester United manager David Moyes claims his side is being unfairly treated by referees after a 2-1 defeat at Sunderland in their League Cup semi-final first leg. A second-half penalty from on-loan Liverpool forward Fabio Borini gave the home side victory at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday and condemned United to three consecutive defeats for the first time in 13 years. Sunderland sit last on the English Premier League table. United had lost by the same scoreline at home to Tottenham and Swansea City in the past week, leaving them 11 points off the pace in the EPL and out of the FA Cup. The Scot was angry with referee Andre Marriner for awarding a free kick against Jonny Evans in the build-up to Sunderland's opener, with Ryan Giggs turning the ball into his own net in first-half stoppage time. "We defended a terrible free kick, but how the referee has given a free kick for that is way beyond me," Moyes said. Nemanja Vidic equalised for United early in the second half, only for Marriner to award Sunderland a penalty after Tom Cleverley was adjudged to have impeded Adam Johnson. Again, Moyes was unimpressed. "We are all just laughing at them at the minute," he said. It looks as though we are having to play them [officials] as well as the opposition at the moment. With their league title defence on the rocks, the return leg on January 22 might be Moyes's only chance of salvaging a domestic trophy.