Dermot Gallagher reacts to penalty incidents in Rangers win v St Johnstone
Dermot Gallagher is confident the officials got both penalty calls correct as Rangers saw off St Johnstone to go top of the Scottish Premiership.
The Gers were 3-0 winners at McDiarmid Park on Sunday (18 February) thanks to a Mohamed Diomande strike and two James Tavernier pens.
VAR intervened on both occasions – the first for Andy Considine’s sliding challenge on Dujon Sterling; the second for a Luke Robinson handball.
Discussing the first of the incidents on Sky Sports News [19 February, 11:55am], Gallagher said: “VAR is right to intervene and recommend the referee go and have a look, but it is a penalty. He doesn’t get the ball, he gets the player.”
On the handball, Gallagher said: “His hand is out. Once you stick your hand out, the referee is always going to penalise.”
Rangers and Celtic lead way for penalties
The referee somehow failed to award Rangers a penalty initially for the challenge on Sterling, but thankfully that is what VAR is there for.
The handball decision is also one that rightly went in the Gers’ favour, with both spot-kicks being tucked away by the ever-reliable Tavernier.
Many will point to bias as Rangers have now been awarded 11 penalties in the Scottish Premiership this season, while Celtic have 12.
Those two sides are by far and away the top two scoring sides in the division, though, and by attacking more you naturally win more penalties.
The penalties helped ensure it was a fairly routine victory for Philippe Clement’s men in the end as they moved two points clear at the top.
As the next Old Firm showdown draws ever closer into sight, what odds on a big penalty call settling that game one way or another?
In other Rangers news, Keith Jackson has mooted a possible Brendan Rodgers sack decision at Celtic after the Gers’ latest win.
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