ROY Hodgson refuses to waste his or Blackburn Rovers' time in appealing against last night's harsh dismissal of Sebastien Perez by controversial referee Peter Jones.

The Ewood boss spent much of last night's stormy game against Chelsea off the bench and arguing furiously with officials.

But, despite his obvious frustration, he knows that it is all too often a pointless exercise to try to fight for justice, despite TV evidence which clearly showed Graeme Le Saux to be the guilty party in his touchline battle with Perez.

The Frenchman's red card, however unjust, added insult to injury for Rovers, and as it was for two cautions should mean a one-match ban.

But Hodgson knows the score over what is usually a fruitless appeals procedure.

On the referee's decision, he said: "He's sure to have a good, logical and sensible answer which will be accepted by everybody when his report comes through because that's the way of the world.

"We only do things that are worthwhile at this club.

"Things that are a complete waste of time we don't bother with.

"I said lots of things to him but it doesn't make any difference. When I wake up it's still zero points.

"So whether I tell him he's done well, whether I congratulate him or pat him on the back makes not the slightest difference.

"The referee is so important and games are won and lost on referees' decisions.

"Everyone knows it and we, at a time when we badly needed a break, didn't get it and certainly I don't think we were helped by some of the bizarre decisions - not least the sending-off of Perez."

Chelsea boss Gianluca Vialli tried to defend Le Saux, returning to Ewood for the first time. "I think that Graeme is such a fair player," he said. "I don't know if he did something wrong but if he did we will sort it out because he knows how to behave.

"Sometimes he has to be a little bit calmer but it is difficult.

"The referee exaggerated a little bit but it's part of the game." Hodgson, rightly, was also concerned about another defeat to keep Rovers rooted near the bottom.

"I am desperately disappointed in the result, bitterly disappointed that we conceded those two goals after going 3-2 up," he said.

"I am full of admiration for the team's performance, certainly up to the last 10 minutes, but it's a great luxury to have players like Flo and Laudrup to bring on when the game was opened up due to two players being sent off.

"With 10 against 10 there was a lot of space to play in and I thought Chelsea's last 10 minutes were really excellent. "Before that I thought if you were judging the game on 80 minutes then we would possibly have been worthy winners."

"Once again I can feel somewhat aggrieved that a good performance has given us zero points.

"But, unfortunately, in three weeks time this will be a bad performance, because the good performance will be forgotten and only the result will matter.

"It was a magnificent game of football which, for me, would have been even better if it had finished 2-2 and there had been less talking points.

"Because now the quality of the game of football will be pushed into insignificance by the talking points, of which there were far too many."

Kevin Davies was ruled out by tonsilitis.

Rovers Reserves are at home to Aston Villa at Ewood tonight (kick-off 7pm). The squad is: Filan, Richardson, Croft, Andersson, Pedersen, Taylor, Johnson, Dunn, Fitzpatrick, Thomas, Staton, Worrell, Brown, Scates, Baldacchino, Williams.

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