EXPERIENCED campaigner Ian Harte backed referee Graham Scott’s decision to dismiss Callum McManaman in the face of stinging criticism from Wigan boss Owen Coyle.

Coyle darted out of his technical area to confront Harte in the aftermath of McManaman’s red card for a late lunge on Brett Pitman in front of the respective dugouts on Saturday.

The Latics chief went on to point the finger at the home players in his post-match address following Cherries’ 1-0 win.

Coyle claimed McManaman had won the ball and suggested that Cherries’ players had sought to sway Scott’s decision.

Coyle said: “We all have our own opinions on it but I was a yard from the incident and Callum clearly won the ball.

“There was no doubt his momentum took him into the lad who then fell over. We all want decisions but I certainly don’t ask my players to run after referees to get a player sent off.

“The linesman was standing a yard from me and he did not give the incident. He was better placed than anybody, but there you go.

“Every decision certainly seemed to go against Wigan Athletic. Ideally you want a level playing field and I’m not convinced we got it but that is the nature of football.

“There are decisions to be given in football. What we don’t need is players running after referees, demanding yellow and red cards for players.

“The referee is charged with a job and has a duty to do it. Sometimes, he will get it right and, sometimes, he will get it wrong, but I think he has to be left to his own devices without other people trying to influence what his role is.”

But former Leeds and Levante left-back Harte, who marked his full league debut with a clean sheet, disagreed with Coyle’s comments and encouraged the Wigan manager to take a second look at the incident.

In a frank assessment of the challenge, Harte told the Daily Echo: “It looked like it was a frustrated challenge and a bit of a silly one on his behalf. It was a straight red card because McManaman jumped in two-footed and it was reckless.

“I was getting a bit of abuse off their bench, but when it was the other way around – when I tackled (Shaun) Maloney – all their players ran in trying to get me sent off. Okay, my foot was high but if you looked at my face, I was always looking at the ball.

“I didn’t need to say anything (about the McManaman tackle), the referee was close enough to see it with his own eyes and it was a silly tackle. If their manager has a look at it again, I’m sure he will know himself that it was a silly tackle.”