Source: Daily_Mail
Wigan Athletic 2 Wolves 0: On paper, you'd think Mick McCarthy's men were a dirty side...
Ten-man Wolves were plunged into the relegation zone by losing at Wigan but brazenly continue to defend their prominence at the top of another table. [LNB]Captain Karl Henry's dismissal for an horrific early challenge on Jordi Gomez and two further cautions took Mick McCarthy's team's card count to 21 yellows and two reds for the season. [LNB] Up...Karl Henry lunges in recklessly...[LNB]And away...Gomez is sent flying (below)[LNB] [LNB] Those statistics have them as runaway leaders in the disciplinary stakes, yet they maintain that their image as chief sinners is a false one. [LNB]Henry - already in the spotlight for the robust challenge that left England striker Bobby Zamora sidelined until next year with a broken leg and the roughand- ready treatment dished out to Newcastle's Joey Barton in August - lasted just 622 seconds at the DW Stadium. [LNB]He paid heavily for refusing to abort an aggressive challenge which spiralled Gomez skyward in spectacular fashion. He later apologised to his team-mates. [LNB]But striker Kevin Doyle defended the 27-year-old. 'He's not dirty by any means. It was just early in the game, you want to put in a big tackle to win the ball, and he was late and got sent off. You couldn't argue with the ref. [LNB]'He's had a long career and it's only because it was on TV that more will be made of it. He's been a very clean and fair player and that was just one tackle. [LNB]'If you were to look at it on paper you'd think we were a dirty team. But if you look back to last year we were one of the fairest sides in the league and I'm sure we will be again this season. We haven't set out in any way to pick up yellow or red cards but over the season it will balance out. [LNB]'That reputation (of being dirty) doesn't bother me at all. The only thing I hope it doesn't do is influence referees in situations where they think Wolves put in a few dirty tackles so penalise us.[LNB]'Over the course of the season we will show we are not dirty. If anyone was malicious and went out to hurt someone, no-one in our team would agree with that.'[LNB] Match Zone: Everything you need to know about Saturday's actionI feared Henry's horror tackle had broken Gomez's leg, says Wigan boss MartinezFinally! After four months at Wolves Stephen Hunt will make his debutWIGAN ATHLETIC FC
