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FOXBORO - Blasphemous. Utterly ridiculous. Incompetence. Take your pick, according to Steve Nicol and members of the New England Revolution.

Referee Kevin Stott was them all.

"Absolutely what went on with the referee produced the outcome of the game," charged Nicol after Revolution midfielder Shalrie Joseph was "red-carded" with 15 minutes left, allowing the Chicago Fire to score twice in the final 10 minutes of the MLS match and escape from Gillette Stadium with a 2-1 victory.

The Chicago Fire extended its unbeaten streak to seven matches (3-0-4) and swept the three-match season series from the Eastern Conference-leading Revolution Saturday before an MLS season-best audience of 19,240.

Chicago (7-5-5) gained the tying goal in the 81st minute when Gonzalo Segares uncorked a 35-yard knuckleball of a shot which glanced off the hands of New England goalkeeper Matt Reis. Then Fire defender Wilman Conde scored his first career goal, the match-winner for Chicago, in the 86th minute, knocking in a loose ball after Reis had made an initial stop on a drive off the right wing by Tomasz Frankowski.

But, it was what preceded those Chicago chances which drew the wrath of the Revolution.

"There was no discussion about it, it was our ball," said Joseph, who was issued his second yellow card of the match by Stott after the later deemed his interference (taking the ball away) with Chicago's Cuauhtemoc Blanco taking the ball for a throw-in.

"Shalrie being sent off for a second yellow card when clearly he thinks it's our throw-in ,when five minutes earlier Segares makes grevious bodily harm on (Sainey) Nyassi and is not given a yellow card," barked Nicol. "When did we change the rules when you can go for somebody and stay on the field?

"On the second goal, Matt played the ball with two hands and somebody slides in and takes it (the ball) away. Of course, the referee doesn't see it. The linesmen don't see it. Why are they (referee, linesmen) there?

"The end result was clearing through the actions of the referee. For me, the outcome was because of the decisions the referee made."

New England (10-5-3) played a many shy over the final 15 minutes shorthanded because Joseph re-acted to a bad situation, "my stupidity," he said. "At the end of the day, I have to be smarter. It was inconsistency on his (Stott's) part. You don't give somebody a second yellow card for something like that."

New England the lead in the third minute when the Revolution's all-time career goal-scoring leader (93) Taylor Twellman scored his first goal of the season in his first start of the season, converting a corner kick out of the left wing by Mauricio Castro with a header, beating Fire midfielder Logan Pause to a spot and Fire goalie Jon Busch to the right side.

Chicago won the previous two meetings with New England this season by 4-0 and 3-0 margins and during its current unbeaten skein has allowed just four goals.

The loss was just the second over the past 11 matches (7-2-2) for New England, which recently claimed the SuperLiga championship. Both teams were without a player due to U.S. Olympic Team duty - New England defender Michael Parkhurst and Chicago forward Brian McBride.

Unfortunately, Reis who has been so spectacular and the Revolution MVP in goal this season, lost the handle on two balls. "We lose a rotten goal, we can forgive him," said Nicol of Reis being unable to control Segares' tying goal. "We defended well, we didn't give them too many clear shots at goal."

The Revolution generated 15 shots and five corner kicks, Adam Cristman (a drive wide left in the 24th minute and a loose ball at 48 just missing), Castro (a direct kick at 50) and Twellman (a loose ball drive wide left at 58) just missing.

"It's pretty clear what happened," chimed in New England defender Jay Heaps. "That was tough to swallow. It (the three-point victory) was taken out of our hands. It's hard to figure out why?"

Corner Kicks

New England goalkeeper Matt Reis started his 100th consecutive match The Revolution travel to D.C. United for a U.S. Open Cup semifinal round match Tuesday New England ranks only No. 10 in MLS attendance figures at 16,494 (inflated due to the Brazil-Venezuela friendly which drew 54,045 in June). In nine home MLS matches, the Revs have drawn crowds of over 12,000 five times and the four SuperLiga matches were all under 11,000 The Revs are 8-1 when leading at halftime Twellman's goal was the fourth conversion of a corner kick by New England for a goal this season Nicol, as incensed and irate as ever, might face a fine from MLS for his post-match comments Chicago totaled 13 fouls (and two yellow cards), New England 11 fouls and four yellow cards - one to Reis for dissenting to Stott on Chicago's second goal New England has allowed 21 goals, six during the final 15 minutes of matches.