Wolves boss Mick McCarthy was critical of the decision that saw substitute Stefan Maierhofer sent off in injury time as Everton grabbed a fortunate 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.

McCarthy claimed the incident "took the gloss off a very good away performance by us".

Wolves had been leading through a Kevin Doyle goal, only for Everton's Russia winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov to equalise in the 88th minute.

But there was still time for giant Austria striker Maierhofer to be dismissed for a second yellow card, having initially been booked by Warwickshire referee Stuart Attwell for a foul on Tim Cahill minutes before Everton drew level.

Maierhofer was involved in an incident with Everton keeper Tim Howard, who looked to push him in the back of the neck.

McCarthy believed that Howard could easily have been red-carded too but declined to be drawn into a discussion about Attwell or whether the young official - who has been involved in several controversial incidents over the last two seasons - was intimidated by the crowd.

McCarthy did say: "The red card was harsh, bordering on downright disgraceful to be honest.

"I felt the first tackle he put in (on Cahill) was a booking for the manner he went into the tackle.

"But this is an intimidating place. (Everton manager) David Moyes is almost playing wide left for them, getting the ball back on as quickly as he can, but I've no problem with that.

"It all creates atmosphere and the crowd are loving it. But for the first incident, Stefan was just booked for his reaction.

"But for the second yellow card he did what I would expect any centre-forward in the world to do and that is to run across the keeper's path to stop him clearing quickly, that is all he has done."

He added: "But their 'keeper Tim Howard is very fortunate not to be walking off the pitch too.

"My understanding is that when you raise your hands above neck high and use your hands to push someone either in the face or close to it, then that is a sending-off.

"I feel that pushing someone in the back of the head - the back of the head is just above the neck as far as I am concerned - is close to getting a red.

"I felt it was unnecessary, he could just have let it go and everyone gets on with things. But it happens, it has taken the gloss off a very good away performance."

Everton boss Moyes was just relieved to have got a point when for long spells that looked unlikely.

He said: "We are not playing the way we would like, but we got a point regardless when maybe we didn't think we were going to get one.

"The goal we conceded I reckon I could have stopped. That is what is disappointing.

"It bounced over a defender (Joseph Yobo) and their man was in. Maybe I could have done something about that.

"It is a lack of concentration against one ball up the pitch. I wish we could get into attacking situations as easily as that.

"We needed to concentrate and see the situation through correctly, but we didn't.

"A lot of our best attacking came through Bilyaletdinov, he played well and deserved his goal.

"We were not anywhere near how we can play. We are still hunting for that balance.

"We have to keep plugging away, overall we have to come through it to find form and a bit of style."