Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher reckons Dundee United were rightly denied two penalties at Ibrox on Saturday.
The Tannadice side felt aggrieved at non-awards by a pair of incidents involving Tony Watt and Jamie McGrath as they went chasing an equaliser in Glasgow. Referee Kevin Clancy waved away United's appeals after Watt went down under pressure from Borna Barisic and then McGrath hit the deck following a tackle from Malik Tillman.
Rangers ran out 2-1 winners in the end via an Antonio Colak double, with Liam Smith pulling one back for United in the final half hour. There was debate over the weekend around the two United claims that followed but Gallagher, speaking on his weekly Sky Sports ref watch segment, insists Clancy was right not to penalise Rangers. Gallagher: "I think not. Tony Watt goes down, it's clumsy but I don't think he (Barisic) clips him. They come together and he goes down but at that point they're side by side.
"I think this is definitely not a penalty, this one. He (McGrath) goes in and the players come together.. for me, no penalty. I think he (Tillman) gets the ball, that's the key."
On Sunday, Celtic went down 2-0 at St Mirren but Gallagher reckons VAR - due to be introduced in the Premiership after the World Cup - would've ruled out the home side's second goal. He says Jonah Ayunga should've been penalised for a push on Stephen Welsh just before he headed beyond Joe Hart.
Gallagher said: "I think he (Ayunga) gets lucky. From the other angle you see he pushes Welsh in the back, he pushes him away. Joe Hart has the perfect view, he has the view the referee wants.
"I think if he's got that view, he gives a foul. It comes off Ayunga's shoulder so he got doubly lucky.
"I think that would be disallowed (with VAR)."
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