Jewell pleased with Latics’ battling draw

WIGAN manager Paul Jewell praised the commitment and desire of his side as they held out for nearly an hour with 10 men to claim a vital relegation point at Aston Villa.

The Latics had gone ahead through Emile Heskey before Antonio Valencia was sent off for a two-footed lunge at Wilfred Bouma. But Villa could only manage a second-half equaliser from Gabriel Agbonlahor — and even that was disputed by Jewell who was unhappy with the overall performance of referee Mark Halsey.

Jewell said: “Villa’s goal was offside. It wasn’t even close. The official got the sending-off right.”