CAMERON CAMPBELL insists the controversial red card handed to Zak Lovelace turned the Scottish Youth Cup final away from Rangers.
The Light Blues lost an eleven goal thriller at Hampden as Celtic lifted the silverware on a remarkable night for the Old Firm Under-18s.
Striker Lovelace won a second half penalty as Rangers took a 4-3 lead but then picked up two bookings for simulation.
And boss Campbell was left bemused by the second decision as the Hoops went on to run out 6-5 winners after extra time.
Campbell said: “It one hundred per cent turns the game. If you look at it, we are in the ascendancy and in my view I thought it could have a penalty.
“If you look at the nature of when it happened and the score when it happened, it totally turns the game, there is no question about that.
“Zak is saying there is contact. You have got to remember as well, when players are running at that speed, when someone comes into your path, unless you are wanting players to stand and take a massive contact, the players have to do something to try and avoid an injury.
“It is really difficult when you are running at that speed. I think it is a really harsh decision and it is something we will look to appeal.
“He is ok. The boys have got around him and this is where it is about being a team. It is not an individual sport and the boys have to go and help him out in this moment.
“He is obviously hurting. Every single player in that changing room is hurting, for different reasons.
“We have lost a cup final that we felt was in our grasps and we deserved to go and win for large parts of the game. Every single player is hurting.
“There are definitely positives out of the game if you look at our attacking play but you can’t stand here and look at the positives when we have just conceded six goals against Celtic in a cup final. That is just not the case.
“The days for reflecting and picking apart the game will come but right now it is more about managing the players’ emotions and getting them to deal with these situations as they occur.”
