Carson butted former Toon striker Chopra to the floor as they went face-to-face.
Scott Carson: "I'm captain of the team, a role I take very seriously, and I shouldn't have reacted in the way I did. It was a really frustrating night and that came to the fore with my red card.
"A cross came over and I got caught by their player (Chopra), who got nowhere near the ball. I should have just let it go and I'm disappointed in myself for getting involved. Having said that, I believe I was provoked and am disappointed in the way a fellow professional reacted.
"But I apologise to the players, the supporters and everyone connected with the club for the fact I was sent off and left us a man short. It was completely out of character for me to be involved in anything like that. The fact it also led to a penalty just made it worse."
Let's face it ... Chopra was never the same after joining Sunderland, was he?
Once a Mackem ... always a Mackem!