SAM Allardyce could face FA disciplinary action for a scathing attack on referee Matt Messias.

The Wanderers boss accused the York official of not having the bottle to give a crucial penalty decision to Wanderers in yesterday's defeat at Aston Villa.

Allardyce said it was a blatant penalty and that any referee who has not got the courage to give a difficult decision to an away team should "throw away his whistle and give up the game".

Allardyce was incensed on the touchline when Rob Edwards pulled Michael Ricketts to the ground in the 76th minute with the score delicately poised at 1-0 and he was still fuming after having time to consider his actions.

He blasted: "There was nothing between the two teams and then a major decision goes against us when a blatant penalty is not given for a foul on Michael Ricketts.

"The referee is paid to make major decisions and make them right and he has bottled it.

"It is difficult to give decisions in penalty areas but referees have to have the bottle to do it and if they cannot do it then they might as well throw away their whistle and give up the game.

"It was a complete and utter howler. It was a blatant shirt pull. Everybody could see it, he could see it and so did Villa manager Graham Taylor."

Taylor admitted: 'My heart was in my mouth when the incident occurred."

Allardyce added: "Referees have a major problem giving smaller clubs, playing away from home, the right decision.

"You simply don't get them because of the pressure referees come under from home crowdss and yet they should be big enough, especially in these days of professional refs, to handle these decisions.

"He was excellent for the rest of the game but that counts for nothing because there was only one major decision to make in the game and he got it wrong. I can't forgive him for that.

"This was ten times more blatant than when Arsenal were given a penalty when Francis Jeffers went down in the box last week.

"But that was for Arsenal at Arsenal and, surprise, surprise, the referee gave it. But it is easier to give Arsenal a penalty at Arsenal than it is to give Bolton a penalty at Aston Villa.

"To give penalties away from home takes bottle but referees are paid to make those kind of major decisions.

"If he had got the penalty we don't know if Michael would have scored the penalty but I would have backed him because he has scored three out of three this season.

"And we don't know what would have happened after that but we could have gone on and had an opportunity to win the game."