Mark Wilson insists Rangers were lucky to end Thursday’s Old Firm triumph with 11 men still on the park.
Celtic were well beaten as Gers ran out emphatic 3-0 winners at Ibrox, with Philippe Clement finally getting the better of Brendan Rodgers at the seventh attempt. Goals from Ianis Hagi, Robin Propper and Danilo gave the Light Blues a day to savour but ex-Hoops defender Wilson reckons the home side should have been reduced to ten-men in the final minutes of the first-half.
Celts winger Nicolas Kuhn was floored and left with a bloody nose after being caught by the swinging elbow of Brazilian left-back Jefte. The German required medical treatment on the pitch before eventually getting back to his feet and Jefte was shown a yellow card. But Wilson believes ref Don Robertson should have been called over the video monitor by VAR Nick Walsh for a second look.
He told Open Goal: “I’ve got to say, that was as blatant a red card as you’ll see. Was there proper force behind it? How can it not be if it bursts his nose. I think if you’re booking him for that and thinking it’s not accidental… I think it’s a red card all day long.
“I said it right at the time. We watched a replay from a different angle and I thought, ‘Right maybe he’s not meant it’. Then you see it from behind the goal and I thought, ‘Jeez, that’s a red card all day long’. I can’t believe he never got called over to look at it.”
Robertson has been widely applauded for his handling of the derby showdown – just weeks after bungling VAR officials Alan Muir and Frank Connor were panned for missing a stonewall penalty in the League Cup Final at Hampden. Former top-flight whistler Des Roache was on Ref Watch for Record Sport on Thursday and dismissed suggestions that it was an intentional smash as he poured over seven key flashpoints.
He said: “It’s not a deliberate action. He’s actually using his arm to balance, but he has caught him. So therefore it’s reckless and dangerous rather than serious foul play or violent conduct. So I’m okay with the yellow for that.”
It emerged on Friday that the SFA’s Key Match Incident panel also fully backed the caution served by Robertson: “The on-field decision was unanimously supported (5-0).”
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