By Mark Heys
April 10 2007

Bolton stand in captain Gary Speed pointed the finger at referee Martin Atkinson during yesterday's 1-1 draw against European rivals Everton. The veteran Welsh midfielder was unhappy that the Yorkshire based official failed to award the Wanderers a free kick after Everton's Lee Carsley appeared to catch him with an arm in the build up to the Toffees equaliser.

Speed, a former Everton player and Wanderers skipper in the absence of Kevin Nolan, condemned Atkinson for the mistake as the official had previously admitted that he had seen the incident.

Speaking after the game yesterday the 37-year old told the official Bolton site that the referee got it totally wrong.

"The referee has made a big 'rick' on their goal. I went up for a header and got caught by an elbow from Lee Carsley. It's part and parcel of the game and I've no gripes about that. But, as the ball has dropped, the ref said he'd seen it. He told me 'He's caught you, he's caught you, I've seen it'.

"I thought he was playing advantage at first but I got up and they've had an attack and scored. If he's missed it, then fair enough. I've no problem with that.

"But he's seen the incident, I've got an elbow to the head and he's played on. I can't understand that. That's why I was so very angry. Why he didn't blow for a foul, I don't know."

This result was even more hard to bear considering Bolton could have gone into a Champions League place after Arsenal could only draw on the road at Newcastle United.