Dermot Gallagher has run the rule over the big talking point involving Malik Tillman in Rangers' Scottish Cup clash with Partick Thistle.
It was a day of drama at Ibrox starting with Kevin Holt's penalty opener. Antonio Colak was penalised for handball following a lengthy VAR review. The TV pundits in the studio branded the call 'mind boggling '.
Tillman was heavily involved in the second half with a foul on the USA international landing the home side a penalty which James Tavernier missed before Michael Beale ordered his side to allow Partick Thistle a free goal after the USA international raced in and scored as the Jags looked to give the ball back. The Ibrox boss has since cleared up the situation. Delivering his assessment of the key moment, the former EPL whistler said: "When you see this Rob, you follow it through. The player is injured. Rangers kick the ball out and Partick [Thistle] take the throw after he gets up. He doesn't get treated on the field that is the other thing. They take the throw and are going to kick it back and it is intercepted, ironically from Tillman who is the player down.
READ MORE: Michael Beale allows Partick Thistle free goal vs Rangers after Malik Tillman Ibrox drama
"Michael Beale the gentlemen he is tells his players to give a goal back. I think this is real good sportsmanship to say 'we shouldn't have scored but we will give you this back' and great for the young lad [Scott Tiffoney] to get on the scoresheet. I think the [Now former] manager [Ian McCall] going to Beale and saying thank you summed up the whole incident. Class."
Clearing up the incident last night, the Rangers boss told Viaplay Sport : "Listen there was a massive misunderstanding. Malik gets injured and the ball goes out of play. He didn’t see it’s been kicked out. When he stands up he thinks he has to go press because it’s the instruction he’s usually given, he’s not seen that Thistle are going to kick it back.
"We scored off it and it’s controversial but this club is built on high standards and we want the best for the game. I didn’t think it was right and just to win a game of football like that.
"Not at home, not against Partick Thistle. I made a lot of mistakes today in terms of team selections but that wasn’t one of them. That was the right one for football and to uphold the standards of this football club.
"If you watch it back it was a big misunderstanding where Malik has got fouled, he doesn’t see what’s happened. He looks around and puts his arm up and goes and presses the ball. He’s unawares and I don’t want it hanging around his head which would be unfair to him and I don’t want to win the game that way.
"The players understood it was a misunderstanding. They spoke about it on the pitch. I had to confer with my bench to make sure what I saw was correct and I think it was the right thing to do. It’s never easy that but it’s a better place for us making that decision.
"It would have been unjust for us to win the game in that way. I’ve never been involved like that before. Not everyone is going to agree but when everyone watches it back and see Malik goes down unawares, that’s what caused it. It’s unfortunate and I’d rather it didn’t happen but we dealt with it in the right way."
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