Cole plays hero and villain

Carlton Cole scored a wonderful winner to give West Ham a 1-0 victory at Wigan but it was card-happy referee Stuart Attwell who stood out.

• Bruce's regular ref rant

The official sent off Cole for a second bookable offence just three minutes after his first-half strike came from an incisive passing move.

Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole was next to go when he was shown a straight red for diving into the back of Scott Parker.

In all Attwell issued six yellow cards, not including Cole's first, and two reds in a niggly game which threatened to descend into a nasty affair at one point.

It overshadowed the excellence of West Ham's goal - a rare bright spot on an evening where beauty came a distinct second to beast.

The Hammers' victory allowed them to strengthen their hold on seventh place and left Wigan still looking for their first victory in eight matches.

Had it not been for Cole's brilliance the Latics would have shaded the first half.

Two fouls by Lucas Neill allowed by Amr Zaki and Mido to test goalkeeper Robert Green with early free-kicks.

Green's counterpart Chris Kirkland did just enough to put off Cole as he raced on to Radoslav Kovac's defence-splitting through-ball, with the West Ham striker commendably staying on his feet instead of opting to throw himself to the floor in the penalty area.

In the 28th minute Mark Noble tripped Cattermole after he skipped past a couple of challenges and he was booked.

Cole followed into referee Attwell's book for a late tackle on Michael Brown.

However, the striker made amends in impressive style in the 34th minute when he provided the finish to a slick passing move.

Parker slid the ball into David Di Michele who exchanged passes with Noble before playing in Cole on the left of the penalty area and the striker opened his body before curling a shot beyond Kirkland and into the far corner of the net.

Just three minutes later, after Parker had been booked for raking his studs down Michael Brown's shin, Cole got himself sent off.

His raised foot as Emmerson Boyce went to head the ball could have been construed as dangerous and Attwell produced a second yellow card and then a red, which then sparked a small confrontation between Parker and Brown which saw both cautioned.

Wigan pressed for an equaliser and in first-half stoppage-time Mido headed Charles N'Zogbia's left-wing cross wide.

Neill, who rode his luck in the first half, was booked in the 49th minute for going over the ball and into Cattermole.

The Wigan midfielder then pressed the self-destruct button two minutes later when he jumped into the back of Parker and was shown a straight red card.

Despite going down as though he was seriously injured, Parker was able to walk off the pitch and seemed to suffer few after-effects, but he did little to endear himself to the home fans when he appeared to make a spitting gesture towards the crowd behind the dug-out.

Valencia was next into Attwell's book for obstructing Herita Ilunga in the 60th minute.

Wigan's next chance again fell to Bramble after Boyce and Mido had knocked down N'Zogbia's corner but he blazed well over.

With 14 minutes to go, Jack Collison, under no pressure from anyone, collapsed in agony as he tried to control the ball on the right touchline.

Jonathan Spector was brought on to replace him while the youngster was still receiving treatment and he eventually departed on a stretcher with his right ankle strapped up.

He was the second West Ham player to leave the field in such circumstances in successive matches after fellow midfielder Valon Behrami sustained a serious knee injury on Sunday.

Valencia had a long-range effort saved by Green and Hugo Rodallega's overhead kick went wide as even six minutes of added time were not enough for Wigan to grab an equaliser.

Bruce's regular ref rantWigan 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 the Warwickshire official - the youngest in the Barclays 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 to the Premier League panel last summer.

"The game was ruined as a spectacle. Carlton Cole shouldn't have been sent off. Referee - use a bit of common sense,'' he said. "It had the makings of a decent game but how he sends someone off in the first half for something as petulant as that I don't know.

"I feel a bit sorry for him because in my opinion Mr Attwell is not ready to step up to the plate.''

The Wigan boss 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. I have no complaints about Cattermole, he was stupid and silly but he was incensed - and he has a good right to be.''

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola was more sympathetic towards the official.

"I told the referee I didn't think it was a reckless challenge, Carlton didn't even look at the defender - he just went for the ball,'' he said. He didn't want to cause any damage and it (the sending off) was too much. The referee is a human being and they make mistakes and we are here to support them.

"We explained it to each other at the end of the game. He said he thought it was a reckless challenge.''

"We huffed and puffed and I couldn't fault their effort but if we had been there until midnight we wouldn't have scored,'' said Bruce. "I have no complaints about the result, I thought West Ham were the better team and their goal deserved to win any match, it's probably goal of the season.''

Beattie on target again

James Beattie proved again that he is a shrewd investment in Stoke's battle to secure their Barclays Premier League status as the Potters defeated Bolton 2-0 at the Britannia Stadium.

• Pulis hails Beattie

Signed in the January transfer window from Sheffield United, the striker got his side off to a flying start in this crucial clash by making it five goals in seven appearances.

Bolton never really recovered, and substitute Ricardo Fuller sealed the points by extending Stoke's lead in the 73rd minute.

Stoke went into the match with confidence after holding Aston Villa to a draw thanks to a late equaliser from Glenn Whelan.

The midfielder was rewarded with a place in the starting line-up and responded by setting up both goals.

Rory Delap and Abdoulaye Faye also returned, with manager Tony Pulis looking for his side to get away from the foot of the table.

Delap was left a little frustrated, however, because referee Mike Dean put a stop in the first half to his constant ploy of using a towel to dry the ball for his long-throws.

Bolton almost took the lead before Stoke made the breakthrough, Thomas Sorensen showing good reflexes to turn Johan Elmander's effort around the post in the 11th minute.

Stoke hit back and made the breakthrough in the 14th minute when Whelan split the Bolton defence with a headed through ball.

Beattie was the first to react as Bolton stood off and showed little hesitation to knock his effort beyond goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Bolton were struggling to string their passes together, and manager Gary Megson was already looking anxious in the technical area.

Matt Taylor sent his effort into Sorensen's body, before Stoke came close to adding a second.

Ryan Shawcross headed narrowly over the top in the 29th minute following an inswinging free-kick from Liam Lawrence.

Stoke were playing with confidence after that early goal from Beattie. Whelan and Lawrence were both busy and creative, and Bolton were kept on their toes.

Bolton were having trouble defending set-pieces, and Abdoulaye Faye got clear of his marker in the 42nd minute but headed over the top following a free-kick from Lawrence.

However, the visitors almost equalised a minute before the break after a sweet free-kick from Taylor.

He struck his 25-yard effort perfectly from an acute angle, only for Sorensen to turn it around the post.

Stoke had lost a bit of impetus, and manager Tony Pulis reacted by bringing on Fuller in the 58th minute for the ineffective Mamady Sidibe.

Delap was still causing mischief with his long throws, even though the towel had been abandoned, and launched one a minute later that finished on the roof of the net.

Fuller then played a neat one-two with Andy Wilkinson, but his well-struck shot was deflected to safety.

Sorensen then had to look alert two minutes later to to turn away a free-kick from Mark Davies at the back post.

Stoke extended their lead, with Whelan again having a hand in the goal. He rattled in a shot that Jaaskelainen could only parry, and Fuller was on hand to take advantage from close range.

It was the Jamaican's seventh goal of the season and put Stoke firmly in the driving seat.

Ibrahima Sonko almost added a third after stepping of the bench, his header coming back off the bar in the 79th minute before Sorensen blocked Elmander's effort in stoppage time.

Pulis hails BeattieStoke manager Tony Pulis praised James Beattie's contribution in his side's bid to beat the drop out of the Barclays Premier League.

Beattie, 31, scored his fifth goal in seven games following his move from Sheffield United two months ago in tonight's 2-0 victory against Bolton at the Britannia Stadium

Pulis said: "Players of Beattie's age sometimes need the challenge of proving they can still play in the top flight. It was one of the reasons why we went and got him. He wanted this chance. His goalscoring record is smashing. Not only that, it is what he does around the place as well.

"He is a very good team man; he gets the players together. He has brought something else to the dressing room. He is a larger-than-life character.''

Pulis said: "We needed a performance from Thomas, because he let the first one in at Aston Villa (at the weekend). But he has been smashing all season. We defended for our lives today. It was a great result. It was hard game, a tight game. Credit to Bolton - they never stop. They make it very difficult. But we deserved it, considering the chances we created.''

Bolton manager Gary Megson was disappointed with the manner of the defeat and the way the opening goal came about. He said: "You won't see a worst one conceded up and down the country, never mind in the Premier League. Most of the time when the first goal goes in it completely changes the game.

"I thought we had more possession than ordinarily we do have but we weren't good enough with it. We did not compete with Stoke when they were putting balls into the box. We did not have all 11 players performing at the level they are capable of and that has cost us.''

O'Neill woe continues

Aston Villa's charge to the Champions League was starting to grind to a halt after Elano and Shaun Wright-Phillips combined to give inconsistent Manchester City a 2-0 victory at Eastlands.

• O'Neill comes out fighting

The Brazilian's first-half penalty - the first time he has scored in the Premier League since August - would probably have been enough anyway but man-of-the-match Wright-Phillips made certain of the points two minutes from time.

It means Villa have now gone six games without a win. And while three of those were cup ties, with Arsenal breathing down their necks just three points adrift, fourth place is looking anything but certain.

Ever since his ill-advised TV interview earlier in the season in which he questioned why Mark Hughes kept leaving him out, Elano has maintained an uneasy public truce with his manager.

There are plenty who suggest the Brazilian remains a disruptive influence behind the scenes and there have certainly been times when he has appeared something short of a consummate team man.

Yet, should Hughes somehow find the formula for getting consistent performances from the former Shakhtar Donetsk man, City could really start a surge up the table.

After all, Elano was one of the main reasons why the Blues found themselves in the Champions League slots last December, an honour that now belongs to their latest opponents.

With Robinho and Craig Bellamy both missing through injury, Hughes was able to offer Elano the kind of free role behind a lone frontman - in this case Felipe Caicedo - that he craves.

The response, if not exactly energetic, was certainly enthusiastic and it was his pass to Shaun Wright-Phillips that brought the hosts their penalty in the first place.

Wright-Phillips had found himself in a similar position moments earlier, when Stephen Ireland was the provider.

Amazingly, with just Brad Friedel to beat, the England international slipped his shot wide.

Wright-Phillips did not get that far on the second occasion. Having been caught the wrong side of his man, James Milner attempted the tackle and succeeded only in tripping his opponent.

Brad Friedel almost made amends with a flying dive to his right. Unfortunately for Villa, Elano's spot-kick was just too good.

Hughes was convinced City should have had a second spot-kick when Caicedo went down under Carlos Cuellar's challenge but referee Chris Foy did not quite see it the same way.

Unlike Elano, Wright-Phillips' commitment has never been questioned and the England international was City's star performer, keeping the Villa defence on their toes with a succession of mazy runs on his return from a three-match ban.

Yet it also had to be said it was a pale imitation of the Villa side who have impressed so many this season.

Their poor run of form seemed to have drained Martin O'Neill's men of confidence.

The response to a tepid first-half performance was for O'Neill to introduce John Carew for Curtis Davies, a substitution that triggered a number of positional changes, including Gabriel Agbonlahor taking up a wider position.

It suggested an aerial bombardment, but instead it brought more width, which Ashley Young relished.

After seizing the initiative without managing to put Shay Given under any pressure, Agbonlahor finally created a chance for Villa with a superb pass to Gareth Barry, whose first-time volley would have crept in if Given had not got down by his post to bundle it away.

The visitors' offensive forced City to play on the counter-attack. Crucially though, it gave them space to exploit.

Ched Evans' magnificent first touch was a chested lay-off to Wayne Bridge's shot which Elano struck sweetly, only for Brad Friedel to make a superb save.

On this evidence, it was perfectly simple to work out why Sven-Goran Eriksson paid £8million for Elano - and why Hughes felt he needed to splash out slightly less to get Given from Newcastle.

The Republic of Ireland international produced another blinding stop to deny Young.

It was the last chance Villa created. And to rub salt into their wounds, Wright-Phillips capitalised on Ireland's pass at the end to seal the win for City.

O'Neill comes out fightingMartin O'Neill has promised Aston Villa will not give up their Champions League place without a fight after slumping to defeat at Manchester City tonight.

"We are not nervous - we are excited,'' he said. Really, if you are not excited by the position we are in, you shouldn't be playing. We are in this position because we deserve to be. It would be a shame to throw it up now without a fight - but I don't think we will.''

City boss Mark Hughes, whose side moved up to eighth, said: "That was one of our most accomplished performances - if not the most accomplished. It is baffling at times why we cannot produce that kind of performance away from home, although in fairness, there have been some positive signs recently.''

Hughes was particularly impressed with Wright-Phillips who returned after a three-match ban and deservedly edged Elano for man-of-the-match honours.

"There is joy in his game,'' enthused the City boss. "He has always played with a smile on his face but your enthusiasm can soon be blunted if you are not playing every week. Shaun has come back from Chelsea as a better player but he has come back to what he regards as his club and I felt he did really well.''

Hughes confirmed new signing Nigel de Jong had been substituted with a knee injury, although he does not feel the damage, in an area where the Dutchman has suffered problems before, is too extensive.

And, after undergoing scans yesterday, he confirmed Craig Bellamy will be out for no longer than three weeks with the injury he suffered at West Ham on Sunday.

"It could be sooner but the prognosis is no longer than three weeks to get Craig back playing again,'' said Hughes.

Like City, Villa have no weekend fixture after getting knocked out of the FA Cup by Everton.

O'Neill intends to take his players on a short break to Dubai, which he feels will get them ready for the challenge that lies ahead.

"We will come back and really stick at it,'' he said. "Maybe we are being a bit naive thinking we can challenge those top four sides, who have been up there so consistently over the last few years, but whatever happens, we should relish the challenge.''

Taylor's gift for Berbatov

Dimitar Berbatov fired Manchester United seven points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League, scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory at lowly Newcastle.

• Fergie salutes his battlers

The Bulgarian clinched the points with a 56th-minute strike, but United had to come from behind to re-establish their advantage over Chelsea and Liverpool with a game in hand.

There was jubilation on Tyneside when, with just nine minutes gone, Peter Lovenkrands ended Edwin Van der Sar's record of not having conceded a league goal since November 8 after the keeper failed to cling on to Jonas Gutierrez's shot.

But it took the visitors just 11 minutes to restore parity through Wayne Rooney, and Berbatov ensured United's run of successive league wins stretched to 11 after Park Ji-Sung pounced on an error by Ryan Taylor.

As Sir Alex Ferguson's bandwagon rumbled on ominously, opposite number Chris Hughton was at least able to console himself with a spirited performance in front of an appreciative crowd of 51,636, although that will count for little if it is not transformed into points over the coming weeks.

Such have been the contrasting fortunes of the two clubs this season since they drew 1-1 at Old Trafford during the opening round of fixtures in August, that the talk before kick-off was not of if United would win, but by how many.

But with just nine minutes gone, it was Newcastle who took the lead against all odds as Van der Sar's run without conceding a Premier League goal came to an end in ignominious circumstances.

The Dutchman failed to hold Jonas' shot as it leapt up off the sodden turf and Lovenkrands stabbed the rebound home before casting an anxious glance at referee Steve Bennett's assistant and only then beginning his celebrations.

St James' Park erupted as fans who had arrived fearing a repeat of Liverpool's 5-1 demolition job at the end of December - United won on Tyneside by the same scoreline last season - dared to believe their side could emerge with something to show for their efforts.

It might have been 2-0 within four minutes when Obafemi Martins fired inches wide under pressure from Rio Ferdinand, with the Nigerian also forcing a good 31st-minute block from the England defender after Van der Sar had failed to deal with a Ryan Taylor corner.

However, by that point, United had made the most of their greater share of the possession to get themselves back on level terms in fine style.

Rooney, back in the side after recovering from a virus, turned superbly past Fabricio Coloccini on to John O'Shea's pass and blasted a left-foot shot past Steve Harper with the help of a deflection off Steven Taylor, although the defender's contribution was largely irrelevant.

United continued to enjoy the greater share of the ball and defender Nemanja Vidic header over with the goal at his mercy after the home defence had failed to deal with a 39th-minute Michael Carrick corner.

But the Magpies continued to threaten with Martins and Jonas causing problems.

Mr Bennett had to deal with an ugly incident in injury time when Steven Taylor caught Cristiano Ronaldo with a flailing arm and then careered into Carrick on the sideline, sparking a furious response from skipper Ferdinand.

After consulting his assistant, the referee booked Taylor, and Ferdinand followed him as he continued his protests following the half-time whistle.

A feisty affair continued in the same vein after the break with Vidic accusing Martins of catching him with an elbow as the pair jumped for a high ball.

Van de Sar had to race from his line to prevent Lovenkrands from latching on to a 52nd-minute through-ball, but when the second goal did arrive, it did so predictably at the other end.

Ryan Taylor slipped as he attempted to chest a deep ball back to Harper and Park got there first to square for Berbatov, who calmly slotted it into the empty net.

Newcastle were visibly deflated by the reverse as United once again assumed control, and they might have increased their lead as they powered their way towards the final whistle.

Harper had to save from Ronaldo and Berbatov in quick succession as time ran down, and then dived bravely at the Portugal international's feet after he had slipped away from Steven Taylor.

But Newcastle made one last push and it was Van der Sar who finished the busier of the two keepers as he kept out first Lovenkrands and then Martins, although without any great difficulty.

Fergie salutes his battlersManchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson highlighted his side's grit, after they came from behind tonight to re-establish their seven-point lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League table.

Ferguson said: "It wasn't a great performance. We got off to a terrible start, and Newcastle were pumped up for it. We expected that and we should have dealt with it better. But coming from 1-0 down was a good result for us. It required a lot of grit.

"Our football has been better, and we were maybe careless with passing of the ball. Newcastle knew it was a massive game for them and went about their job in the right way. We could have been 2-0 down actually. (Obafemi) Martins hit one by the post, and it was a hairy spell for us.''

Ferguson said: "Edwin says himself he made a mess of it, and they had a couple of near things after that. It was going to happen some time, and it is out of the road now.''

The lead lasted just 11 minutes, before Wayne Rooney blasted the visitors back on to level terms, but it was left to Dimitar Berbatov to clinch the victory after Park-Ji-Sung capitalised on Ryan Taylor's 56th-minute error to set him up.

United were not at their best but never looked likely to surrender their advantage, despite a late flurry from the hosts.

It was just the response the Carling Cup winners needed after last night's results, and Ferguson insists they can handle the pressure.

Ferguson added: "The teams who play first and get a result will always say 'Pressure on'. But it doesn't make much difference to us. You have to rely on and trust the players. You have to show patience and experience. It is nothing new to them.''

United winger Cristiano Ronaldo found himself on the wrong end of Steven Taylor's flailing arm just before the break, the defender earning a booking and Rio Ferdinand following him after calling for sterner action.

It is understood a heated debate continued in the tunnel at the break, although caretaker Newcastle boss Chris Hughton was quick to defend his player.

He said: "Anybody who has seen the incident again will have seen where he actually made contact, and he made contact on the top of his shoulder and his neck. I have had the opportunity to see it again and I am quite sure if anybody here has, they would agree.''

The defeat, despite a much-improved performance, left Newcastle just a point clear of the drop zone after wins for Stoke, Tottenham and Hull - and Blackburn's point against Everton.

Asked if he believes they will survive, Hughton said: "Yes, I do. It's vital that we put on that type of performance right through to the end of the season.

"I was delighted with the performance. In the form that Manchester United are in, to be able in a lot of periods of the game to take the game to them, take the lead and go very close to getting a second speaks volumes for this group of players.''

Villans duo scoop Barclays awards

Martin O'Neill and Ashley Young have claimed the Barclays Manager and Player of the Month awards for December.

The Aston Villa duo continue to make significant contributions to a Barclays Premier League season which saw the West Midlanders lie in the top four by the turn of the year and remain in the hunt for the title. Young becomes the first player in Barclays Premier League history to win the award three times in a calendar year.

Manager O'Neill, a recipient of the monthly award for the sixth time, guided Villa to an unbeaten December which saw his side win four out of five matches, including three away wins at Everton (3-2), West Ham United (1-0) and Hull City (1-0).

team display

The Villans also impressively saw off the challenge of an in-form Bolton Wanderers side at Villa Park (4-2) before a late Zat Knight strike held Arsenal to a 2-2 draw.

Young's emergence as one the most exciting players in the Barclays Premier League continued apace throughout the month, scoring three goals and contributing two assists to end 2008 in style.

Two goals from the 23-year-old in a man-of-the-match display at Goodison Park, including a scintillating injury-time strike, saw off the challenge of Everton, while another goal from the England international capped a fine team display as Aston Villa defeated Bolton Wanderers.

A crucial assist, meanwhile, in the dying minutes of his side's game at Hull City's KC Stadium resulted in an own-goal which claimed maximum points.

The decision was made by the Barclays Awards Panel, which includes representatives from football's governing bodies, the media and fans.