Latics boss Bruce blasts ref for ‘ruining’ game

WIGAN manager Steve Bruce accused referee Stuart Attwell of ruining the game in his side’s 1-0 defeat at home to West Ham which saw both teams reduced to 10 men.

The Latics boss felt Attwell — the youngest in the Premier League at 26 — was not the required standard for the top flight.

Attwell, who awarded the infamous “ghost goal” in Watford’s game against Reading earlier this season, spent one year in the Football League before being promoted last summer.

Last night he sent off Carlton Cole, who had earlier been booked for a foul on Michael Brown, for a second yellow card when he raised his foot as Emmerson Boyce went to head the ball in the 37th minute.

Lee Cattermole, who just moments earlier had been clattered by Lucas Neill, was dismissed in the 50th minute for lunging into the back of Scott Parker’s legs.

Bruce was unimpressed by the official’s performance.

“The game was ruined as a spectacle. Carlton Cole shouldn’t have been sent off. Referee: use a bit of common sense,” he said. “I feel a bit sorry for him because in my opinion Mr Attwell is not ready to step up to the plate.”

He had no issue with Cattermole’s dismissal but was incensed Neill was not dismissed for his challenge on the midfielder moments earlier.

“Lucas Neill should have been off the pitch for his tackle, which was horrific,” he added.

“But because Mr Attwell has put himself under pressure from sending off Cole in the first half, in the second half, when the major decision needs to be made, he hasn’t made it. That is the one we want to stamp out because that tackle is a horror tackle.”

The sendings-off and yellow cards overshadowed Cole’s goal three minutes before his dismissal a textbook example of short, sharp passing.

Parker slid the ball into David Di Michele who played a one-two with Mark Noble before finding Cole on the lef. He opened his body before curling a shot beyond Kirkland.

WIGAN: Kirkland, Melchiot, Boyce, Bramble (Watson 78), Figueroa, Valencia, Brown (Scharner 64), Cattermole, N’Zogbia, Mido, Zaki (Rodallega 64).

WEST HAM: Green, Neill, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga, Collison (Spector 78), Noble, Parker (Lopez 88), Kovac, Di Michele (Nsereko 75), Cole.

Referee: Stuart Attwell.