Bolton manager Gary Megson has warned his players to wake up and start realising they are in a scrap to save their Premier League lives.The Trotters remain in the bottom three following a 1-0 defeat to a Wigan side that battled with 10 men for 86 minutes after Jason Koumas was shown a straight red card for a tackle on Gary Cahill.

It was a contentious decision, with worse to follow for Megson in the second half after Emile Heskey had stroked the Latics into a 34th-minute lead with his first goal since mid-August.

Wigan should have been reduced to nine men in the 67th minute and Bolton awarded a penalty when midfielder Michael Brown handled a Kevin Davies header on the line.

Yet referee Steve Tanner missed that incident in what was a woeful performance from the official, yet it was no excuse for Bolton's limp display.

Nine players were back on view who did not figure in Thursday's UEFA Cup exit to Sporting Lisbon, yet they appeared fatigued and weary as if they had travelled and played in Portugal.

A worried Megson said: "We have to stop talking about what we can do, and what we have done, and start doing more.

"We've lost a game to one or our near rivals after they went down to 10 men after a few minutes, and the problem was we didn't set off right.

"We rested a lot of players in midweek because of the magnitude of the game, but I didn't expect the approach we got from some of them.

"We have to wake up very, very quickly and hopefully now they will recognise we're in the bottom three, despite being positive about wanting to do this and that.

"But if we keep doing what we did in this game, then we will stay in the bottom three.

"So we have to roll our sleeves up and start doing what everybody else is doing around us, which is battling, scrapping, putting in a good shift and accepting our position because nobody is going to give us anything to get out of this."

Despite a talented squad, Megson insists they are not too good to go down, adding: "You can't ever view yourself like that.

"You may be able to pass the ball, control it, finish or whatever it may be, but you have to get everything right to be a successful team.

"You can't think you are too good to go down, because on that performance we're certainly not. No team is ever too good to go down."

Tanner is to review his dismissal of Koumas after being asked to do so by Bruce who is to appeal in the hope the midfielder will avoid a three-match ban.

"The big thing is he (Koumas) has tried to go for the ball and not gone over it, so in my opinion it is a challenge that deserved a yellow card," assessed Bruce.

"We've asked the referee and he has very kindly said he would look at it because for me I think it is harsh."

After taking eight points from the last four games, and keeping a clean sheet in them all, Wigan are now six points clear of the bottom three.

A delighted Bruce added: "Given the circumstances, it was a magnificent result. I don't think there's been a team that has worked so hard for a win.

"They were terrific. They've run a million miles for one another to get the result, and with a bit of ability as well."

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