Rangers F.C. have been told they were unlucky not to receive a penalty during their 1–0 victory away to St Mirren F.C. in Paisley.
The result moved Rangers to within three points of Heart of Midlothian F.C. at the top of the Scottish Premiership after Tuur Rommens opened his account for the club with a tidy finish from Nico Raskin’s cross.
However, the match also featured a controversial moment while the score was still level. Rangers players and supporters felt they should have been awarded a spot-kick after a handball appeal involving Alex Gogic inside the penalty area.
The incident occurred when Raskin directed a header toward goal from Rommens’ in-swinging corner, only for the ball to strike Gogic’s arm. On-field referee Steven McLean did not spot the incident, and the situation was quickly reviewed and cleared by VAR official Chris Graham.
The decision frustrated Rangers supporters, particularly after comparisons were made with a penalty awarded to Dundee United F.C. during their derby draw with Dundee F.C..
Former Premiership referees Des Roache and Steve Conroy weighed in on the controversy through their “The Ref’s View” account on X. They suggested that had the on-field decision been a penalty, VAR likely would not have overturned it.
“I’m not sure Gogic’s arm is tucked in enough for that to be deemed natural. If it had been given on the field, I don’t think VAR would have overturned it,” they wrote.
They also supported another recent handball decision involving Dundee F.C. captain Joe Shaughnessy during the derby clash at Dens Park, saying that call was always likely to be awarded.
The former officials also pointed to another major flashpoint during the game, claiming that St Mirren midfielder Jacob Devaney was fortunate to avoid a red card.
Devaney, currently on loan from Manchester United F.C., caught Rangers striker Youssef Chermiti inside the penalty area but escaped without even a booking.
Roache and Conroy described the tackle as “serious foul play,” although they suggested the interpretation of the rules by Willie Collum may explain why no sending-off was issued.
According to the pair, Collum has previously stated that referees look for an obvious “buckle” in the leg before classifying a challenge as serious foul play. Without that clear indicator, officials are often reluctant to show a red card.
While Rangers ultimately left Paisley with all three points, the match still left plenty of talking points regarding refereeing decisions and VAR’s role in key moments. ⚽
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