Red mist descended on the JJB Stadium as an explosive encounter saw both sides finish the game with 10 men.

Everton striker Duncan Ferguson had only been on the field seven minutes when he was shown a straight red card by referee Mike Dean for punching Paul Scharner in the stomach.

Three minutes later Wigan striker Jason Roberts was also given his marching orders for elbowing David Weir in the face.

Roberts faces a three-match suspension but will not miss the Carling Cup final, providing Spurs bring forward a Barclays Premiership fixture.

The game at White Hart Lane is currently scheduled for February 25, the weekend Wigan head to the Millennium Stadium.

But with both Wigan and Spurs out of the FA Cup it is almost certain to now be played on February 18, the weekend of the fifth round.

It is not the first time Ferguson has been involved in such controversy, and Roberts is also starting to earn himself a reputation.

He was fortunate not be sent off at West Ham in December and later charged by the Football Association with violent conduct for a similar incident involving James Collins.

It was a remarkable end to a game which started 15 minutes late due to an accident on the M58, the main route carrying Everton supporters to the JJB Stadium from Merseyside.

Paul Jewell's side lacked fire from the off while Everton, in light of their recent resurgence of four successive wins coming into this game, appeared a side on the up.

They were quicker to the punch for an opening half hour by the end of which they were a goal to the good, although it should have been more.

Their ninth-minute opener was somewhat fortuitous, with influential midfielder Tim Cahill - in the side after serving a one-match ban - latching onto a long goal-kick from the restored Richard Wright.

The Australian proceeded to twist and turn his way into a shooting position on the edge of the area, eventually unleashing a drive which ricocheted off the covering Stephane Henchoz.

As David Thompson challenged Leon Osman for the loose ball, the new Latics star, who scored on his debut 10 days ago in a 3-2 win at Middlesbrough, made it an unwanted two in two games by prodding an own goal past the stranded Mike Pollitt.

Five minutes later Everton came close to making it 2-0 with the Wigan defence caught napping following a short free-kick from Mikel Arteta to Osman.

Osman's pull back found an unmarked James McFadden for a near-post flick that Pollitt superbly beat away at point-blank range.

At that stage it was nearly all Everton, with a linesman's flag then denying them a second as an offside Cahill bundled home a McFadden shot tipped away by Pollitt.

Moyes' side appeared in little danger of relinquishing the advantage as Wigan were struggling to create anything of note, with their sporadic attacks foundering on a seemingly-resilient rearguard.

But after an offside flag denied Roberts - the striker applying a cool finish to a through ball from Scharner - it was the Austrian who found the equaliser.

It was all too easy for Wigan, with Henchoz delivering a raking ball down the right wing for Pascal Chimbonda after a Thompson free-kick had cannoned off the wall.

The Frenchman headed the ball on into the six-yard box where Scharner sidefooted past Wright for his second goal for the club following a £2million move from Brann Bergen earlier this month.

That gave Wigan the impetus to take the game to Everton after the break, yet all credit to the Toffees for withstanding the pressure applied.

Pollitt had to be at full stretch to tip away a drive from Arteta soon after the restart but from then on it was primarily all Wigan.

They were unable to find a winner however, with another Roberts effort ruled out for a push on Alan Stubbs.

Wigan Pollitt, Chimbonda, Henchoz, De Zeeuw, Baines, Teale,Bullard, Scharner, Thompson (Ziegler 45), Roberts, Mellor.

Subs Not Used: Filan, Jackson, Johansson, Francis.

Sent Off: Roberts (83).

Booked: Scharner.

Goals: Scharner 45.

Everton Wright, Hibbert, Weir, Stubbs, Nuno Valente, Osman,Arteta (Ferguson 73), Cahill, Neville, Kilbane, McFadden.

Subs Not Used: Turner, Naysmith, Davies, Anichebe.

Sent Off: Ferguson (80).

Booked: McFadden.

Goals: Thompson 9 og.

Att: 21,731

Ref: M Dean (Wirral).