BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness expects to escape punishment from the Football Association for Saturday's touchline altercation with Southampton coach Dennis Rofe.

The FA will today study a video of explosive scenes at the end of Rovers' 2-0 defeat at St Mary's Stadium.

Souness insisted that Rofe encouraged referee Steve Bennett to show Andy Cole the red card in the 64th minute, and today stood by his actions in confronting the man he sacked from the Saints staff during his time as manager there in 1996.

"I can't see what action the FA can take for me having a shout in the tunnel, that happens all the time," said Souness.

"It was a bit of shouting and arguing and I will be very disappointed if they saw it any other way. There was nothing to break up, it was just shouting.

"I stand by what I said 100 per cent because you can't be encouraging the referee to show players a red card, it's not on."

Cole was ordered off in the 64th minute for throwing a punch at Michael Svensson, but Souness was surprised the Rovers striker was the only one singled out by Bennett.

He said: "I haven't looked at the incident yet but the general consensus seems to be that it was a sending off offence.

"But we're concerned because we felt that Andy wasn't the only one that deserved to be punished.

"If you go back to the first challenge by McCann on Barry Ferguson, that seemed like a bookable offence.

"But when things are going against you, they don't go against you in a small way, it's a big way, so it was a disappointing day all round."

Goals by former Rover James Beattie and Leandre Griffit, a 19-year-old Frenchman making his first appearance for Southampton, condemned Rovers to their fourth successive Premiership defeat.

"We were going through the game quite comfortably and they weren't causing us many problems," added Souness.

"They scored from a free kick, which was harsh to say the least, then a couple of minutes later a player is sent off.

The first goal damaged us but the sending off killed us."

"But when you are having a run we are having, it never rains it only pours."