JIMMY Phillips could not defend full-back Niall Maher after he was sent-off against Cardiff City but believes referee Lee Collins should have evened things up with another red card.

Wanderers were beaten by a 94th minute penalty from Peter Whittingham having spent much of the game defending stoutly with 10 men.

Zach Clough gave the Whites an early lead with a sublime free-kick, levelled after half time by Bluebirds' striker Kenneth Zohore.

Whittingham stole all three points from the spot after a trip from Bolton debutant Tyler Garratt on Craig Noone.

The Wanderers interim boss missed Maher’s 32nd minute dismissal, given for an elbow on Noone on the edge of the home side's penalty box.

But Phillips feels Sean Morrison, already on a yellow card for an earlier foul on Oscar Threlkeld, should have been punished for pulling back Kaiyne Woolery as he bore down on goal in the second half.

Woolery also claims he was impeded by a Cardiff defender as he shot at goal late in the game from close range.

“I didn’t actually see the sending off as I was talking to Stephen Dobbie,” Phillips explained. “He was coming on for Darren Pratley, who had concussion.

“Obviously there was a bit of inexperience by Niall and he didn’t need to make the challenge as high up the pitch as he did.

“He will learn from it but it changed the game.

“But from our point of view, a couple of times Kaiyne was through on goal and he was pulled back.

“The first one, outside the area (from Morrison), I have seen the replay. The referee didn’t see it, didn’t give it.

“The later one in the six yard box, Kaiyne said he was pulled back at the last minute so couldn’t get a clean contact on it.

“That is where you need a bit of fortune to get a penalty, maybe a sending off, and it would have been 2-0 or 2-1.”