Ten-man Villa survived Ashley Young's 72nd-minute dismissal as they came from behind to stay within three points of new Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester United.

However, both James Milner's 60th-minute equaliser and Barry's penalty 10 minutes from time came from debatable decisions which left the home side and their fans furious.

Milner appeared to divert Ashley Young's cross into the net with his arm at the end of a pacy counter-attack, while substitute Paul McShane's challenge on Gabriel Agbonlahor looked to be outside the box.

O'Neill said: "I didn't know there was any sort of dispute with the penalty, it seemed straightforward.

"But the referee gave it, it was a penalty and Gareth Barry put it in brilliantly and I thought we deserved to win."

On Milner's strike, which cancelled out Danny Collins' 11th-minute opener, O'Neill said: "I haven't seen it.

"The incident I have seen back was the one I wanted to see, to see whether Ashley's [challenge] was a sending-off. I have no complaint.

"When I look round and think Ashley Young has been sent off, I think 'This has got to be a bit crazy'.

"But the referee is right. When you are going in two-footed and your feet are above [the ball] diving in like that, to me it is a sending-off and I have got no complaint.

"He didn't really know what had happened, but players can get injured like that and I have no complaint."

Sunderland trudged off the field believing they had been robbed after a series of crucial decisions went against them in an incident-packed final 30 minutes at the Stadium of Light.

They looked to have wrestled back the advantage when Young was dismissed for a nasty lunge at Dean Whitehead, but it was Villa who snatched victory.

Agbonlahor appeared to have started his run from an offside position and whether or not McShane's challenge was inside the penalty area was a major topic for debate.

All that was academic for Barry, who smashed the penalty into the top corner to ensure the points headed back to the midlands on an afternoon when his side were below par for long periods.

It was Villa's fifth successive away league victory and their eighth in 11 attempts this season, but asked about their lofty position O'Neill said with a smile: "It was a real disappointment to find that Manchester United won in the last minute and Chelsea won in the last minute. It's knocked us completely.

"The boys have been doing great, they really have. I don't know where they found it from today.

"They found a great resolve, a great inner strength and we have fought back in a lot of games this season.

"I have got the utmost regard for them."

Opposite number Ricky Sbragia was in no mood to criticise Mr Dean's performance, but instead pointed to the sub-standard defending which cost his side so dearly.

He said: "Things like that seem to go against us, but at the end of the day we didn't defend the two goals well.

"I can't be critical of the referee, but I can be critical of my defenders for not defending it well. I thought they were poor."

Sunderland's problems were compounded by the loss of defender Nyron Nosworthy with a hamstring injury which could sideline him for several weeks.