Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has rapped ref Alan Wiley over the dismissal of Luis Antonio Valencia during their 3-2 defeat to Liverpool.

Kirkland, who had played his part in keeping the Latics ahead until the last ten minutes with two world-class saves, is not after blood.

He simply wants Wiley, in this era of Respect, to show some of it for the Wigan players, whose toil and enterprise was blown away by the waft of the official's red card.

"Hopefully the ref will come out and admit he has made a mistake," Kirkland told the Manchester Evening News.

"That's all you want, and if he does that fair enough. But we feel very hard done by.

"The first yellow was not a booking, Antonio did nothing wrong. The lad touched the ball and Antonio charged it down.

"But because of the commotion with all the Liverpool players, when all their hands went up, the ref's bottled the decision.

"They have a tough job, referees, but it was as clear as daylight that he shouldn't have been booked. It's difficult enough with 11 men at Anfield, never mind ten, and that was a big turning point."