Southampton - 3 Blackburn - 2: Andy D'Urso's status as a Premiership referee is set to be withdrawn after he failed to send off Barry Ferguson despite twice booking the Blackburn captain. The referees' select group manager Keith Hackett has launched an investigation into the incident and a suspension is considered inevitable. Hackett declared it "a basic error" and said the Football Association is likely to mirror his own inquiry by probing "a failure to apply the law". He will also interrogate D'Urso over questionable decisions during the match.
The referee awarded Southampton a dubious match-winning penalty for a routine aerial challenge by Craig Short. Ferguson was then shown a second yellow card for flicking the ball away. After James Beattie scored from the spot, D'Urso was alerted by the fourth official that Ferguson had been cautioned twice, but the Scot was allowed to remain on the field.
The referee can expect up to a month on the sidelines; it is not the first time D'Urso's performance has attracted scrutiny. Following Tottenham's third-round FA Cup win over Crystal Palace last season, D'Urso was sanctioned for sending off Danny Butterfield for a foul he did not commit.
The last-minute penalty might have served to alleviate some of the pressure on Southampton's manager Paul Sturrock. The chairman Rupert Lowe failed to endorse Sturrock's stewardship after the match, saying: "(He) remains the manager until the time that the board decides otherwise. All managers are driven by results. We have got Paul Sturrock managing the club and that is good enough for us."
Having taken the lead after the Blackburn defence failed to deal with a long ball into the box from Paul Telfer, allowing Kevin Phillips to pounce from six yards out, Southampton showed no composure.
With the painfully slow Dominic Matteo inexplicably selected in Blackburn's left-wing position, Southampton should have concentrated their attacks down that flank but Sturrock failed to spot the weakness. Instead, following the half-time introduction of Paul Dickov, the visitors were allowed back into the game.
Dickov provided Ferguson with his goal with a great through ball, before scoring himself with a calm finish from Brett Emerton's cross. Anders Svensson restored parity for Southampton with a well-struck effort before Beattie stole the points.
