Michael Beale has cleared Rangers star Ryan Kent of any wrongdoing in his Hampden flashpoint with Liam Scales.
The winger tangled with Scales during the Viaplay Cup semi-final on Sunday and the incident has become a key talking point on social media.
Supporters of opposition clubs have claimed that Kent should face retrospective action for the innocuous coming together as the on-loan Celtic defender was bundled over in the middle of the park.
But Beale insists there was nothing in the challenge as he dismissed wild suggestions that Kent should have been dismissed for aiming a punch.
"Ryan is trying to run, Scales is stopping him run and has wrapped him up," Beale said when asked about the flashpoint. "He has tried to get himself free. Come on.
"Ryan is not a tough kid, that is not Ryan. Ryan is a technical player. I think a lot has been made about it but only from one section of support."
The Kent incident has become one of the major talking points in the aftermath of the Dons clash that saw Rangers emerge victorious thanks to goals from Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe.
But Beale is more concerned with how the forward played at the National Stadium as Kent continued his renaissance since his mentor returned to Ibrox last month.
Beale said: "On a personal level, I’m delighted with him in terms of his football. It was never in doubt in terms of his effort and energy.
"Some of the magic might not be there from time to time but he never shirks in terms of his work ethic.
"I think at the moment he’s able to cause a lot of disruption to teams because they’re unsure of where he’s going to be on the pitch.
"I’ve been really happy with him. It was another strong performance – running hard after 120 minutes. I think Ryan can be pleased with his form at the moment."
