Question of style

Banbury official Dermot Gallagher has already been banished from the top-flight after his failure to send off Leeds United's Robbie Keane following a clash with David Beckham at Old Trafford on Saturday.

And Styles could soon be ready to join him if a video of his performance here ever lands in the wrong hands at FA headquarters in Soho.

Bad as Rovers were -- and I can't recall a more disjointed display in all the time Graeme Souness has been at the helm -- it was the antics of Styles in particular which really made the Blackburn End's blood boil.

With the Foxes currently snared in a trap at the foot of the table, this was never going to be a classic as Dave Bassett sets about mounting another of his great escapes.

But Styles' finicky approach wrecked any chance of a free-flowing contest on a night all Rovers fans will want to erase from their memory banks as quickly as possible.

Astonishingly, the Hampshire official reached for his pocket eight times to brandish yellow cards during a game which was niggly at best.

But if his decisions to book Rovers trio Tugay, Lucas Neill and Damien Johnson for innocuous-looking incidents were incredulous, then his coup de grace was quite frankly unfathomable.

As Rovers mounted a desperate search for a winner in the dying minutes of an increasingly frustrating night, Craig Hignett sized up a free kick 20 yards out.

Spotting Ian Walker slightly out of position, the quick-thinking Blackburn sub opted to take it early, only to see his effort saved.

Styles, however, was not content with the outcome and reached for his notebook once more with Hignett the victim -- much to the amazement of everyone in the ground.

"It was unbelievable. I've never been involved in anything like that before in football," said Hignett.

"The ref never said a word to me -- he didn't say wait for the whistle or anything like that.

"I just thought he was going to book one of the wall for something I hadn't seen so when he booked me, I was flabbergasted beyond belief.

"It's the inconsistency which annoys me.

"Robbie Keane did something similar on Saturday against Manchester United and scored but what happened there was they brought it back and told him to take it again -- he certainly didn't get booked.

"And it was the same with him pushing Beckham.

"There's just no consistency at the moment and it's causing mayhem.

"This was never a dirty game and yet eight players got booked which is frightening, really.

"I have to admit I think Dermot Gallagher has been really harshly done to but, on tonight's performance, this referee could find himself reffing one or two first division games as well."

Styles' performance apart, there was precious little to set the pulses racing in an error-strewn encounter.

After scoring 10 goals on their previous two outings, Rovers were being dubbed the Premiership's chief entertainers as Leicester rolled into town.

But what transpired here was anything but entertaining as City ground out their first point under new boss Dave Bassett.

Give credit to the visitors, though. Bassett's side may not be the prettiest to watch, but few teams will come to Ewood and work harder this season.

They chased and harried every lost cause as if their lives depended on it.

And when it comes to winding up opponents, few players are more infuriating than Dennis Wise and Robbie Savage -- or is that Mighty Mouse and Motor Mouth?

They ultimately succeeded in knocking Rovers out of their stride and, had Ade Akinbiyi brought his shooting boots, they could even have headed off back down the M6 with all three points after carving out the best of the chances in a sterile contest.

Tugay and Garry Flitcroft -- so imposing during the previous two games -- never stamped their authority in midfield.

And some of the service from the flanks was woeful at times, particularly when the full-backs ventured forward as Lucas Neill and Stig Bjornebye both had nights to forget.

Defensively, Rovers looked uneasy against the power and pace of Akinbiyi.

And with Matt Jansen starved of any quality service upfront, Leicester keeper Ian Walker was only called on to make one serious save -- in the 87th minute!

Contrast that with the football feasts against West Ham and Arsenal and this was a famine by comparison.

Neither side created much of note in a featureless first half but City nearly profited from a piece of slack defending right on the stroke of half time.

An attempted backpass from Bjornebye sent Akinbiyi clear but Brad Friedel stood tall and saved his shot with his body before the ricochet bobbled inches past the post.

A half-time dressing down from Souness did little to lift the gloom after the break and it was Friedel who continued to be the busier of the two keepers in an equally punchless second half.

The big American reacted sharply to gather long-range efforts from Rovers old-boy Callum Davidson and then Andy Impey but the best chances continued to fall to shot-shy hitman Akinbiyi.

Twice the former Wolves man fired across the face of goal from inviting openings and he then failed to pick out Impey when the winger was well placed.

Growing increasingly frustrated, Souness then switched to 3-5-2 in the closing stages and Rovers looked better going forward with the lively Hignett probing on the left flank.

But there was still little cutting edge despite the best efforts of David Dunn, who stabbed one effort just wide, and Friedel was called into action again in stoppage time when back-pedalling to save a 45-yarder from Impey.

Walker's one meaningful stop came from Jansen but the Rovers striker's header from a Hignett centre never looked like finding the net.

"It was a scrappy game and we were very disappointing," said Hignett.

"They came and worked hard against us, we couldn't break them down and I think a point was a fair result in the end.

"But we've got to take heart from the fact we didn't get beat, despite not playing well, and at least we managed to keep a clean sheet."

RESULT: ROVERS... 0 LEICESTER CITY... O