Spot decision is kick in teeth

As the dust settled on yet another unconvincing home performance, Souness was left to rue a controversial refereeing decision which ultimately cost Rovers dearly as hapless official Mike Dean was firmly singled out as the sinner in this meeting with the Saints.

Trailing 1-0 to an early goal from Kevin Phillips, Rovers appeared to have grabbed themselves a lifeline when Graeme Le Saux clipped the heels of Brett Emerton as the Australian bore down on goal in the 16th minute.

From where Souness was sitting, it looked like a nailed-on penalty and he waited with bated breath to see what course of action Dean would take.

Earlier in the season, Lucas Neill was sent off in virtually the exact same circumstances against Liverpool and Danny Murphy duly stepped up to convert the resulting spot-kick.

This time, however, Mr Dean incredibly kept his hands firmly in his pocket, an act which sent the veins in Souness's neck pumping like a jack-hammer.

In a faltering campaign that has fluctuated between the sublime and the ridiculous, one remarkable statistic stands out like a mis-timed Le Saux challenge.

Rovers have now played 31 games this season and have yet to be awarded a single spot-kick.

Souness has his own views as to why that's the case and he wasted little time in airing his conspiracy theory during a highly-charged post-match Press conference.

"Blackburn Rovers fans need to accept right now that we will not get a penalty this season," ranted Souness.

"We must be the only team in the country who haven't had a penalty this season and we won't get one.

"Logic would tell you that somewhere in our previous 20-odd games, there would be a case for a penalty.

"But we are not one of the big clubs so we don't get them.

"I could produce a video with a dozen great shouts for penalties that I know if it was Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool or Chelsea appealing, they would all be penalties. But we don't get them. It's a fact."

Souness's outburst may well result in yet another meeting with the FA's disciplinary panel but it was easy to sympathise with the Blackburn boss, considering what's at stake.

Dean's error looked even more glaring when seen again on television and there's little doubt it had a major bearing on the game's eventual outcome.

Had Le Saux been sent off and a penalty duly awarded, Rovers may well have gone on to secure their first home win since November 29 against a Saints side forced to play with 10 men for the best part of 75 minutes.

As it was, it took a 53rd minute goal from Andy Cole, resplendent in his blue boots, to rescue a perilous situation.

Another home defeat on the back of last week's gut-wrenching reverse at the Valley would have been a damaging blow, psychologically, for a team low on confidence.

But Rovers dug deep and fully deserved at least a point in the end for a spirited second half revival, triggered by the arrival of Matt Jansen and Dwight Yorke from the substitutes' bench.

Nevertheless, the great penalty debate should not be used to paper over the cracks that continue to undermine Rovers' survival bid.

For the fourth time in 13 Premiership home games this season, Rovers leaked a soft goal inside the opening five minutes, which set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.

Rovers spent the rest of the half on the back-foot as the Saints looked stronger and sharper in every department and it needed a radical change of formation and personnel at the interval to prompt an improvement.

Craig Short and Markus Babbel looked suspect together at the back which begged the question: why was Andy Todd, the team's most consistent defender this season, left to cool his heels on the bench?

With Garry Flitcroft also absent through injury, Rovers missed the skipper's ball-winning qualities in the centre of the park.

Martin Andresen did his best to fill the void on his debut but, aside from a few promising touches, the Norwegian still looks some way short of match fitness.

The same excuse cannot be used by Tugay, however, whose ability to influence matches appears to be on the wane.

On present form, the Turkish international is not doing enough to convince me that he deserves a new deal in the summer.

Apart from the one killer pass he produced in the build-up to the penalty incident, he provided precious little else for the strikers to feed on.

But it's his inability to track the runners from midfield that ultimately makes him a luxury in this current Rovers side.

A month ago, Chelsea's Frank Lampard was allowed to break into the box at will with Tugay little more than a bystander.

On Saturday, Rory Delap was given similar treatment and it very nearly led to Rovers' downfall.

It was only when Souness switched to a 3-5-2 formation at the start of the second half that the pendulum swung back in Rovers' favour and the Saints were put under any sustained pressure.

Souness had barely taken his seat in the stand before Rovers found themselves 1-0 down.

Jason Dodd slung a long ball into the box from the right, James Beattie out-muscled Short in the air and his cushioned header dropped perfectly for the completely unmarked Phillips, who had all the time in the world to slam a low shot past Brad Friedel.

Rovers regrouped and should have had a penalty in the 16th minute when Emerton raced onto Tugay's pass.

As he lined up a shot, Le Saux clipped his heels and the Aussie went sprawling in the box but Mr Dean played on.

To add to Souness's sense of frustration, Antti Niemi then saved from Jon Douglas.

Southampton, meanwhile, continued to look menacing on the break as Delap went close with two chances and a shot from Phillips crept wide of the post.

Souness took decisive action at the start of the second half, replacing Douglas and Paul Gallagher, who had tweaked a hamstring, with Jansen and Yorke, and the substitutions had an immediate effect.

Both players were involved in the build-up to the equaliser as the ball bobbled around on the edge of the box in the 53rd minute. Eventually, it squirted off a defender straight into the path of Cole 10 yards out who drilled a low shot through the legs of Niemi.

Two minutes later, Cole could have doubled his tally when clever play from Jansen left him free but Niemi made a wonderful save.

The Saints had chances, too. Delap forced Friedel into a scrambling save and Michael Gray, who was outstanding at left-back, made a brilliant block to deny Paul Telfer. But, unlike last week, there was to be no late sting in the tail.

ROVERS 1

Phillips 5

SOUTHAMPTON 1

Cole 53