MIDDLESBROUGH skipper Paul Ince mocked the introduction of professional referees after Ugo Ehiogu's controversial sending-off in Saturday's ultimately crushing home defeat by Arsenal.

Central defender Ehiogu was dismissed for the third time in little more than eight months for an 85th-minute challenge which referee Graham Barber ruled was not only inside the penalty area, but had denied England teammate Ashley Cole a goalscoring opportunity.

However, close analysis of the incident by Ehiogu and former Boro captain Andy Townsend on ITV's new Saturday evening highlights programme, The Premiership, showed there was hardly contact and that the challenge occurred just outside the box.

Robert Pires scored from the penalty to hand Arsenal a 2-0 lead which they doubled in dramatic fashion through Dennis Bergkamp in the closing minutes as Boro collapsed and new boss Steve McClaren endured a painful managerial debut.

But Ince, whose future has been the subject of intense speculation since McClaren replaced Bryan Robson this summer, cried foul over Barber's decision on an eventful afternoon which also witnessed the dismissal of Arsenal's Ray Parlour for a second bookable offence.

Ince said: "It was all about two decisions - the sending-off which was, Ray Parlour's, and the sending-off which wasn't, Ugo Ehiogu's.

"Ugo maybe ran across the guy and it might have been a penalty, but no way was it a sending-off. I thought that this year we had professional referees! It changed the game.''

Before then, Boro were trailing to an Arsenal side who should have been reduced to nine men after skipper Tony Adams, booked in the 64th minute for a crude tackle on Alen Boksic, was lucky to escape further punishment moments later when he brought down Ince.

Ehiogu said: "We seemed to be making progress until the contentious issue of the penalty. I lost my footing and Ashley Cole came across me. There was slight contact, just a brush, but it wasn't in the same league as the contact Tony Adams had on Paul Ince.

"Referees do make contentious decisions and unfortunately the one involving me has gone against us.

"But we have to try to iron out the things that weren't good about our game. One thing is for sure, this wasn't good enough.''

Ince, who forced the save of the game from David Seaman with a 25-yard drive which the Arsenal keeper did well to turn around a post one-handed, admitted: "Arsenal played well and they looked sharp, but David Seaman made a great save from me.

"We knew it would be a hard game to start the season with, but we're OK.

"I believe we could have played better, but three goals in the last five minutes or so was a bit

flattering to them.''

McClaren's men now have to regroup before tomorrow night's visit to Bolton, who marked their return to the top flight with an amazing 5-0 triumph at Leicester.

"We're not down and we'll be back,'' insisted Ince. "We'll be ready for Tuesday.''

Ehiogu's red card rules him out of the home game against Newcastle two weeks on Saturday.

* Boro's third-choice keeper Marlon Beresford has joined First Division Wolves on a month's loan.

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