BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes blasted referee Mike Riley after the Leeds official sent him off and booked five of his players during Saturday's 4-2 defeat to Chelsea.

Hughes was banished to the stand in the 54th minute after he kicked a medical bag in frustration following a number of debatable refereeing decisions in quick succession.

However, it was the number of yellow cards dished out by Riley - he booked five Blackburn players in the space of 24 minutes - which ultimately incensed Hughes, who later claimed the officials had been influenced by comments made in the Chelsea camp prior to the game.

The Rovers chief was particularly unhappy with a piece in the matchday programme, in which Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech made reference to a challenge by Paul Dickov during February's stormy clash between the two sides at Ewood.

Cech accused Dickov of 'almost ripping his stomach out' and Hughes felt such a comment hardly helped to set the right tone for Saturday's rematch, which was never the bloodbath that the card count would suggest.

The Rovers chief said: "We had five or six guys booked, which reflects badly on us when you look at the stats, but it was never a game that merited five or six bookings from our side.

"Maybe his view was shaped by some of the comments in the programme, which I was a little bit upset about.

"I thought some of the things that were said were a little bit wrong.

"I'm probably talking out of turn and I'll end up getting in trouble for it, but there were bits and pieces in the programme (which upset me).

"Their goalie mentioned something about a challenge from Paul Dickov which, I felt, didn't need to be highlighted in those terms.

"At the end of the day, referees are only human and maybe he read the programme as well."

Saturday's card count leaves Rovers firmly entrenched at the foot of the Fair Play league and now Hughes could face a fine after getting 'sent off' for the first time in his managerial career.

The FA will wait to see what Riley puts in his report before deciding whether or not to take further action against the Rovers chief.

Nevertheless, Hughes still feels hard done by and he firmly believes his Rovers side are paying the price for their previous misdemeanours.

"I'm a little bit frustrated because every time we play Chelsea or Arsenal it seems the events of past games get dragged up and it doesn't help our case," said Hughes.

"Whether or not the referee has been influenced by a little bit of history in the game, I don't know, you'd have to ask him."