Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez has received a
call from referees' chief Mike Riley to apologise for mistakes made
by officials during Saturday's 2-1
defeat at Chelsea.
Both of the home side's goals at
Stamford Bridge appeared to be offside.
After the game Martinez branded some of the officiating
"disgusting", but has since
mellowed and praised Riley's actions in contacting the
club.
"It is a very honourable way to
face mistakes," Martinez said.
A former top-flight referee, Riley
now heads Professional Game Match Officials Limited, an organisation that provides officials for
the Premier League, as well as co-ordinating assessments of
referees' performances.
"Mike Riley told me that he understands that with the level of
refereeing in this league [officials] should get those calls
right," the Spaniard revealed.
"We were unfortunate at the weekend and we've had a few bad
calls over the season. There are many other clubs that have had
them as well. It's important that we don't feel too aggrieved;
that's part of the game and we need to accept it.
"In many ways the luck is going to level out.
"This is why the game is such a controversial subject between
all of us, because good and bad calls are part of the game."
Wigan are 19th in the Premier League but are level on points
with Blackburn and QPR above them and are only in the relegation
zone on goal difference.
The Latics picked up eight points in March and Martinez is keen
for the recent improved form to continue in the run-in.
"I don't want to keep talking about those [refereeing errors],"
he said. "They stopped a positive result for us but it was the
performance that allowed us to be in the position where we could
get a positive result.
"We have a group that is used to facing adversity and a group
that will maintain their level to the end of the season."
