Bruce fuming at 'joke' dismissal

Wigan manager Steve Bruce branded Emmerson Boyce’s dismissal “an absolute joke” after seeing his 10 men salvage a point at Newcastle.

The visitors were leading 1-0 at St James’ Park when the defender was sent off by referee Andre Marriner for a second bookable offence nine minutes after the break, despite replays suggesting he had won the ball from Shola Ameobi.

Boyce’s departure prompted a Magpies fightback and it took a last-gasp equaliser from former Newcastle defender Titus Bramble to deny the home side the win they so desperately needed.

“I would love to say what I really want to say, but I can’t for obvious reasons,” said Bruce.

“But the sending-off is a joke, and absolute joke of a decision, and cost us ultimately.

“I think we comfortably would have gone on to win the game with 11 – we should have won the game with 10, if Henri Camara had taken his chance.

“And now with this stupid rule that you can’t appeal two yellow cards, we miss the boy next week for Everton as well, so I am very disappointed.

“It’s a howler of a decision. He absolutely got the ball.

“The referee has got to be absolutely nailed on before he gives a yellow card or before he gives a red card because those decisions change games.

“That’s why we go nuts. The Respect campaign and all the rest of it – he has got it wrong.

“Sir Alex (Ferguson) is probably right this week; they should come into the training grounds and referee the training games or do something.

“We were robbed three weeks ago at Anfield and it knocked us back, and it was the same thing again here today.

“That’s all we are talking about, refereeing decisions.”

Both managers headed for their respective dressing rooms after the final whistle with cause for disappointment, although for differing reasons.

Bruce’s side would have been leaving the north-east with all three points had Henri Camara’s 76th-minute shot not come back off the post.

However, Newcastle had just three minutes to see out after their belated fightback had got them in front.

In truth, that would have been harsh on Wigan, who took the lead through Ryan Taylor’s third-minute piledriver and survived until the 80th minute with few genuine scares.

Michael Owen passed up a glorious opportunity to equalise two minutes after joining the fray as a 68th-minute substitute but he made amends with 10 minutes remaining when he pounced on a loose ball after Chris Kirkland had spilled Shola Ameobi’s shot.

The Magpies looked to have got out of jail seven minutes later when Obafemi Martins smashed a stinging shot past Kirkland but Bramble headed home a last-gasp equaliser to give his side some reward for a determined display.

Bruce said: “Titus has taken some stick over the years, particularly playing for this club.

“He was spot-on, but he was like that against Liverpool, he was like that against Portsmouth. He has been terrific of late.”

Newcastle’s point lifted them out of the relegation zone but was far less than manager Joe Kinnear was hoping for.

To make matters worse, midfielder Joey Barton left St James’ Park on crutches and will undergo a scan on a knee injury tomorrow.

Kinnear said: “It was highs and lows, wasn’t it? That’s the worst we have started since I have been here, in the first half.

“We went for broke with three strikers up and created numerous chances. We should have put the game to bed, really.”

Owen’s strike drew fresh attention to the need to determine his future, with Kinnear keen for him to sign a new deal.

He said: “We have got to sit down and talk to him about a new contract, if I am allowed to do that.

“It (the club) might be sold next week and someone else comes in and might see things differently.

“Of course I would like too keep all my best players here. It would be silly not to, wouldn’t it?”