Phil Parkinson was unhappy with referee Simon Hooper’s performance after derby rivals Bolton and Wigan shared a 1-1 Skybet Championship draw at the University of Bolton Stadium.
The Wanderers boss was unhappy Mr Hooper awarded Latics a first half penalty which Will Grigg converted to cancel out Will Buckley’s seventh minute opener.
And Parkinson, hoping to celebrate his 51st birthday with a badly needed victory, was equally upset when the Wiltshire official turned down stoppage time appeals for handball against Wigan captain Sam Morsy.
“Everyone in the ground, apart from two people, thought Hobbsy’s (Jack Hobbs) challenge wasn’t a penalty,” said the Trotters chief.
“With the second one, I thought the rule was if your arms are in an unnatural position then it is a penalty.
“That’s what happened. You’d like to think the ref, after he knows he has given a very contentious decision in the first half, then we would have got it.
“I am disappointed with the referee’s performance again. I don’t think the supporters will think ‘he’s moaning about the ref’ because they have all watched the game and knew he was very poor.
“It was a shame because I thought we played well until their goal. We felt sorry for ourselves for a little while after that injustice.
“But the lads dug deep and we will take the point after the week we have had.”
That week included November’s wages not being paid on time the day before the game.
“You can’t fault the resilience of the group of players,” Parkinson added.
“When you don’t get paid and you are going to work, you’d probably be pretty demotivated.
“But the lads put it to one side and I am very pleased we put in that performance.”
Wigan boss Paul Cook, who saw his side end a run of seven successive away defeats, was more circumspect about the penalty decisions.
“I haven’t seen it (Hobbs on Grigg) but their bench wasn’t happy about it,” he said.
“But hindsight in football is a wonderful thing. The first challenge of the game the referee could easily have given a red card. They are the debatable points in football.
“Both teams were committed to trying to win the game so I think the referee did a decent enough job.”
On the second penalty, Cook added: “You could have seen why he might have given it.
“You are thinking I need to see that again. But I really didn’t see it because I was staring at the floor praying at the time.
“I’m pleased with the point. It was always going to be a difficult game as Bolton came into the game under pressures that go on in football.
“Could we have converted one or two of the good chances we created? Possibly, but at least we take a point away with us.
“The biggest credit I can pay the lads is that the disappointment of going behind didn’t affect us. And that was important.”
