LAST WORD
Rangers goal update delivered as SFA rule on St Johnstone complaints and controversial ‘whistle’ at Hampden
There has been an admission of confusion - but there's only ONE sign that counts
SFA refs chief Willie Collum is satisfied under-fire Matthew MacDermid called it correctly at Cyriel Dessers’ Hampden goal.
The whistler was slammed by St Johnstone’s players for clearly signalling for a foul in the build up to the Nigerian’s crucial 61st-minute opener for Rangers.
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Several of them believed they heard the official blow and video evidence showed MacDermid putting the whistle to his lips well before the ball hit the net.
VAR man Greg Aitken then flagged up the on-field call to award a foul against Dessers for a collision with defender Jack Sanders was incorrect - allowing MacDermid to overturn his own decision and award the goal.
And after reviewing the second-by-second audio recording from the Premier Sports Cup clash, the governing body are satisfied their man DIDN’T blow prematurely or more than once so had correctly allowed play to continue to a conclusion.
SunSport understands there is an acceptance that MacDermid caused unnecessary confusion among the players on the pitch by gesturing for a foul so early - but under the rules the whistle is the ONLY sign the game is stopped.
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Saints boss Craig Levein and his players were baffled by the chain of events, with skipper Kyle Cameron feeling certain MacDermid blew before Dessers had actually netted.
But the audio file has shown there was no breakdown of the protocols, despite what some of the players believed in the heat of the game.
On Saturday Cameron said: “In my honest opinion, I’m 90 percent sure that as Dessers is about to finish, he’s blown his whistle.
“He’s definitely signalling for a St Johnstone free-kick and I’m more than certain he’s blew before the ball hit the back of the net.
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“The players have looked back at it on video and it’s hard to hear because the crowd lifts when Dessers goes through.
“It’s hard to hear the initial whistle but he definitely signals twice. We feel hard done by with that decision.
Rangers fans vote with their feet with Hampden less than half full vs St Johnstone
“The ref told me Jack stood on Dessers as he’s going through so they were actually looking for a Rangers penalty.
“He spoke to me and said that AFTER he’d given the goal. So it’s a little bit confusing.
“It doesn’t make any sense. Jack was going to clear the ball and Dessers has come on his blind side and tripped him up.
“If that’s anywhere on the pitch, that’s given as a foul to St Johnstone.
“But initially, 100 percent, he’d signalled for a free-kick.”
Saints were also angered VAR didn’t check an incident in the dying minutes when Adama Sidibeh came together with Dessers inside the box as he was about to shoot.
But the SFA have backed Aitken’s decision to stay uninvolved.
Dessers' strike also leads to a second question - over where Gers' quarter final will be played.
Dundee are due in Glasgow on September 21 or 22 - close to the end of Rangers' short-term tenancy at Hampden.
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A third delivery of steel is believed to have landed after a lengthy delay meaning Ibrox construction work is now said to be on-course for a late-September return, as chairman John Bennett had been aiming for.
Rangers are due to host Hibs in the league on September 28 but the Dundee clash falls before then, as does the opening game of the Europa League group stage.
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