Wigan Athletic boss delivers verdict on Christian Saydee red card - 'Take his medicine'

The summer signing from Portsmouth had just laid on the fourth goal of the game for Callum Wright before his afternoon was brought to a premature end.

In trying to shield the ball from former Latics loan midfielder Tom Bayliss, Saydee succeeded only in scraping his studs down his opponent's shin.

Meaning a red card from referee Alan Young and a three-game ban - including the derby at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday week.

"Chris is gutted, because he's not that type of player is he?" reflected Lowe. "He hasn't tried to hurt anyone, all he's tried to do is get his body across.

"His leg makes contact a little him on him...is it a red, is it a yellow...I don't know nowadays. If VAR was involved, it probably would be a red card, so I have no real complaints with it.

"Chris just has to take his medicine and get on with it."

While accepting the red-card decision, Lowe felt Latics were on the receiving end of poor calls for both of Lincoln's goals.

Indeed, referee Young has previous with Latics - having dished out a dozen yellow cards, including then-boss Shaun Maloney, and one red during the 1-0 defeat at Stevenage two years ago.

Lowe, though, was quick to play down the situation.

"I respect all the referees," he said. "You'll always have your moments through the course of a season, and the two assessors that were here today...I remember they were referees in my day!

"They're all good fellas, and I know the job is so hard...I've got no complaints, because they have to make difficult decisions.

"I was going to ask him about one incident in the second half...he gave three cards out in the second half.

"There was a yellow, then a red, then another yellow...and I was wondering how he could give all three to the same fella...who he knows has been booked...that's four cards!

"Maybe it was just mistaken identity, I don't know...but I know how hard a job they have, especially when you've two teams fighting for everything.

"The refs have a hard enough job as it is, and he's all right, Alan, he's a good ref. For us, it's just disappointing, because if we don't get that red card, I think we go on and win the game."

Lowe also admitted he would be sending an apology the way of Bayliss, whose career briefly crossed at Preston, for his role in Saydee's dismissal.

"I thought Bayls was play-acting at first, but it was in the heat of the moment," added the Latics head coach.

"I've since seen it back and I need to apologise to him, because he's a good kid.

"I never got the chance to work with him at Preston, because I left, but hopefully he's fine and fit for them next week."