BOLTON WANDERERS striker El-Hadji Diouf could face an FA probe after an alleged spitting incident at the Riverside Stadium yesterday.

Stewards received a complaint from several Middlesbrough supporters after Diouf was reported to have spat in the direction of home fans after he was substituted.

The Senegalese international was replaced with two minutes to go by goalkeeper Kevin Poole, after Jussi Jaaskelainen was sent off for a professional foul.

It was then that Diouf - on a season-long loan from Liverpool - was alleged to have taken a drink, before spitting it towards the home enclosure.

Yesterday's incident is not the first time Diouf has been involved in a spitting row. The 23-year-old was charged for spitting at two Celtic fans during a UEFA Cup tie for Liverpool at Parkhead last season.

In a highly-charged second half yesterday, Diouf infuriated the home crowd with time-wasting tactics. The African was lectured by the referee for walking across to take a corner in the closing stages, before going to the ground, clutching his knee moments later.

Boro boss Steve McClaren believes Northants official, Peter Walton could have handled the game better.

He said: "You leave that in the referees' hands, although I was a little bit disappointed that they could have been a bit stronger.

"We can only control what we can control and although we were not at our sharpest I felt we were still good enough to win the game."

Despite Thursday night's UEFA Cup win over Lazio, Boro - for the fourth time of asking - failed to win in the Premiership immediately after their European exertions.

He said: "We always knew it was going to be a tough game, not just because it was Bolton, but this was our third game in the space of a week.

"It would have been a travesty if we'd have lost it.

"We had enough chances to win the game.

"I didn't think it was going to be our day, but the players have once again shown fantastic character.

"At the beginning of the week's before Europe we set out to take a minimum of four points and we've done that this week."

McClaren felt his side should have had a penalty when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was brought down by Jaaskelainen on the edge of the Bolton area.

"I've seen it two or three times and it was on the line just inside so to me it was a blatant penalty," said McClaren.

And, according to Hasselbaink, he was definitely inside the box. Skipper Gareth Southgate said: "Jimmy felt he was just inside the box but those decisions are difficult to make.

"I was 50 yards away so I couldn't tell."

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