Rangers v Kilmarnock penalty incidents analysed as referee Willie Collum’s decisions branded ‘bizarre’

Ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher believes Willie Collum got two key decisions wrong during Rangers’ 3-1 Premiership victory over Kilmarnock at Ibrox on Saturday.

The category one official awarded the home side a penalty for handball in the first half after VAR intervened before waving away the visitors appeals for a spot-kick of their own after the break when Allan McGregor fouled Rory McKenzie inside the box.

The veteran goalkeeper escaped punishment to leave Killie boss Derek McInnes incensed and claiming “it looked a penalty kick every day of the week.”

Analysing both calls on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch segment, Gallagher admitted that he can see why the Ayrshire club feel hard done by. He said: “Kilmarnock will argue that they’ve been penalised twice, right? Because they’ll argue that the one given against them wasn’t a penalty and they’ll argue that the second incident was.

“That’s where, as a referee, one thing you’ve got to be mindful of, you’ve got to treat every incident in isolation and the same. Unfortunately for them, I think the two decisions have gone against them.”

On the penalty awarded to Rangers for handball, he continued: “Well, the referee clearly can’t see where it stuck, there’s no doubt about that. Only the VAR can when it shows the camera angle from behind the goal.

“My only surprise is when the referee sees this, I just don’t know where it hits him on the hand. I wasn’t surprised he was sent to the screen because he couldn’t possibly see anything. But I was surprised because when he goes to the screen he retains all options, he doesn’t have to give a penalty like people think.”

Presenter Rob Wotton then asked: “But it hit his chest, didn’t it?” and Gallagher replied: “It did, yeah.”

Pundit Stephen Warnock was left baffled by the decision. He added: “How do you come to that decision when it’s pretty much clear to everyone that it’s struck him on the chest? I mean, obviously, you see the Rangers player asking him, saying it’s handball so it is going to be reviewed, but then to look at it and give it. It’s bizzare, isn’t it?”

Goals from Connor Goldson, Fashion Sakala and James Tavernier cancelled out Jeriel Dorsett’s brief response as Michael Beale’s side responded to their Viaplay Cup final defeat by securing maximum points.