SOCCER:ALEX FERGUSON has angrily accused the Premier League head of referees, Keith Hackett, of showing favouritism to Chelsea after John Terry was let off the red card he was shown at Manchester City on Saturday and the official who brandished it, Mark Halsey, was banished to League Two.

Terry had been facing a three-match suspension which would have ruled him out of Sunday's game against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

Instead, following yesterday's appeal hearing , he will be free to face the champions, and Hackett has effectively punished Halsey by taking him off the Premier League match-list this weekend and asking him to control Chester City's match against Shrewsbury Town.

"My information is that Hackett told Mark Halsey to rescind the red card and he would not do it," said an incensed Ferguson.

"Now I understand that Halsey is being made to referee in the Second Division this weekend. I just don't understand how this could have happened. If it had been a Manchester United player, Hackett would never have done this for us."

Terry had been sent off after deliberately blocking Jo, City's Brazilian striker, to prevent him running towards goal. The decision was roundly criticised at the time because it was perceived that Halsey had ruled it to be a professional foul when in fact Terry was not the last defender. Halsey, however, has maintained since the weekend that he did not make a mistake and that Terry was sent off because the challenge was cynical.

A spokesman for the referees' body, the PGMOL, said Hackett had no part in the appeal process, adding: "All matters of discipline are an issue for the Football Association and them alone."

Ferguson will be without Nemanja Vidic for the trip to Chelsea because of the red card he was shown in United's 2-1 defeat at Anfield, and he had been led to believe that Terry had no chance of winning his appeal.

Meanwhile, Frank Lampard admitted he is enjoying life under Luiz Felipe Scolari after the Chelsea manager began his first Champions League campaign with a resounding 4-0 win over Bordeaux at Stamford Bridge last night. Headers from Lampard and Joe Cole started the rout before Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka added late strikes.

Lampard said: "I'm playing well and scoring goals and I'm part of a good team. It's enjoyable playing in this team."

Chelsea have been accused of failing to go for the jugular in the past and merely settling for three points, and Lampard admitted that, even under Scolari, they were still unwilling to throw caution to the wind when 2-0 up.

"You want to go for more but don't want to be silly, so I think there's a middle ground," he said. "But we were looking for goals and we got them."

- Guardian Service