George Overhill

Mon 13 November 2023 17:40, UK

Ross McCausland was “harshly done by” in his first Rangers start because his disallowed goal against Livingston should have stood, according to Mark Wilson.

The former Celtic defender said live on BBC Sportscene on 12 November that the young winger’s first-half strike in the 2-0 victory earlier in the day shouldn’t have been ruled out for a foul by Abdallah Sima on Christian Montano, because the on-loan forward hadn’t done much wrong and the Livi man knew “he’s got away with one”.

McCausland, referee Steven McLean, and VAR were criticised over a supposed dive for a penalty, missed by James Tavernier, shortly before, but both Wilson and Michael Stewart felt the Northern-Irishman’s first goal for the club was wrongly disallowed.

Having agreed with Stewart that it was “nonsense” for the VAR to confirm the first-half penalty for a foul on the 20-year-old Wilson went on (38m 50s): “We were having a joke earlier on. Michael was saying that’s like if somebody goes down and then you just go over and give them a tap [and] it’s a foul when they’re on the ground, of course it isn’t.

“But I’ve got to say I think he’s harshly done by here, the young man in his first start, I think he should have had a goal because I don’t see much wrong with that.

“I think Sima gets pulled back initially. I don’t think he does a lot in the back of Montano there. You even see the defender’s reaction when McCausland goes and puts this in the back of the net, he turns round and shouts at his goalkeeper.

“Listen, trust me, as a defender I’d be moaning at the referee but I think he knows he’s got away with one and the young man’s goal should have stood.”

Stewart added: “I think [Sima] does foul Montano, but I think he’s being fouled as well. If you want to keep analysing it you’re going to find something wrong somewhere. How about we just let goals stand, good goals, unless there’s something blatantly obvious? I’m not convinced there is there.”

Swings and roundabouts

Ultimately McCausland and Rangers would likely have preferred the penalty review by the video assistant to go against them, since it was missed, and the one for the goal to land in their favour.

It didn’t prove to be crucial on the day since goals from Cyriel Dessers and a second Tavernier penalty took the points to maintain Philippe Clement’s 100% record in the SPFL.

But it would have been a big moment for the young winger who has emerged as an exciting talent this season and is already attracting transfer interest from the English Premier League.

With the other wingers at Ibrox, aside from Sima, apparently cursed with poor injury luck McCausland is bound to get more opportunities to open his account in the near future.

Following the departures of Ryan Kent and Fashion Sakala in the summer the Rangers first-team looked to have been left without pace and width under Michael Beale.

Rabbi Matondo’s emergence and Sima’s development helped partly address that, but the return to form of Scott Wright since Clement took over and the increased role for McCausland suggests there may be options enough yet.

And with Alex Lowry still to come back from his loan at Hearts there is also a youthful look to the group with Wright the oldest by three years at 26.

In other Rangers news, a pundit has given a damning assessment of a “constantly offside” Ibrox man whose legs may have gone.