OLDHAM boss Iain Dowie says he regrets not substituting Julien Baudet after he was involved in a pitch brawl just before half time and was then sent off for a horror tackle when he came back on the pitch.

Oldham were leading 1-0 after a near post header from Wayne Andrews in the 26th minute, and never looked to be in any sort of trouble until Michael Simpson swung an elbow in the face of Baudet and the fight erupted.

Simpson rapidly disappeared down the tunnel after the half-time whistle blew, while the Frenchman had to be restrained by his manager Iain Dowie as he hunted revenge.

Simpson should have been sent off and Baudet should have calmed down in the 15 minute half time break. But within one minute of the restart, Baudet launched a horror two-footed tackle on Brown.

He was given an instant red card and Wanderers went on to take the lead.

Substitute Richard Harris scored Wycombe's first goal in the 70th minute when he headed home following a quality cross from fellow sub Darren Currie. Then Brown scored from the penalty spot after Danny Senda was up-ended in the box seven minutes from time.

In the dying minutes of the game Fitz Hall flicked the ball on to Tony Carss, who forced the ball over the line in a scramble for the equaliser.

Latics boss Iain Dowie said: "It's a great result in the circumstances. The game was affected by mad refereeing decisions.

"Julien Baudet got an elbow in the face and a bloody nose and that incident changed the game. It was assault. There's no question he hit him in the face. The linesman and the fourth official saw it yet they plead dumb.

"In hindsight maybe I should have changed him at half time.

"Wycombe couldn't get near us in the first half. We passed the ball well and we could have had more goals. But we've got so much heart. Down to ten men the boys had the heart and soul to get a result back."

Wanderers boss Lawrie Sanchez agreed that the game turned on Baudet's dismissal.

He said: "When I played at Wimbledon we never whinged about being kicked because we spent all our time kicking other people.

"I find it a bit strange that a team who have built themselves on being aggressive suddenly become shrinking violets when they are tackled. He cost their team three points at the end of the day.

"It was a shocking tackle on Brownie and he fully deserved to go. He cost his team three points really.

"I couldn't see how we were going to score a goal until then but the lad getting himself sent off gave us opportunities and we scored two."

Baudet, who insists he had calmed down during the interval and wasn't hunting retribution, was the most relieved man at Adams Park afterwards as Oldham salvaged a point.

He said: "I let the lads down. If I hadn't been sent off we would have won.

"I didn't go out for revenge. I was upset when their lad caught me with an elbow but I calmed down during the interval.

"I just went for a tackle and I admit I caught the lad. But I'm not a bad man it wasn't a sending off."

Prior to his exit, the match had looked like being an away banker.

January 21, 2003 11:00