Ex-FIFA referee: Rangers deserved another red card as Auston Trusty head kick verdict issued
Rangers were reduced to 10 men in their defeat to Celtic but are considered lucky to have got away without further punishment.
Thelo Aasgaard was shown a straight red by Nick Walsh at Hampden Park on Sunday after catching Anthony Ralston with a high boot late in a miserable Rangers first half.
But Danny Rohl‘s side could already have been a man down even by that time after Derek Cornelius dived in on Johnny Kenny earlier in the game, escaping with just a yellow.
Walsh opted to book the Canadian after he’d advanced out of his back line to launch a challenge on the Celtic man as he hesitated to play the ball forward, catching him on the ankle.
Reacting live on BBC Sportsound Pat Bonner and Billy Dodds both thought it was a close call that could have drawn a red card.
Bonner said: “Oh yeah that’s a bad tackle, a bad tackle, really, really bad tackle.”
“He’s lucky his low, he’s jumped into it and he’s got a bit of the ball”, Dodds agreed. “But he’s gone over the ball and caught him on the ankle as well so he’s low, he’s lucky. If he’s any higher I think he’s going off.”
Bonner added: “Yeah it’s a poor, poor tackle. For a centre-half to come that distance and dive in… He’s a lucky man.”
Keith Hackett clear Derek Cornelius should have walked
Rangers fought back from a man and a goal down to peg Celtic back through James Tavernier‘s penalty, before the slog caught up with them in extra time on the way to a 3-1 loss.
Had the Light Blues been down to nine at the interval and chasing the game it is hard to imagine the action would have been prolonged into the extra period.
Former head of the PGMOL and ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett was not in two minds and said Cornelius should have been sent off.
Speaking exclusively to Ibrox News the veteran former official said: “The player launches himself off the ground and into his opponent. The foul challenge warranted a red card for serious foul play.
“The challenge used excessive force and endangered the safety of his opponent. The colour of the card raised should have been red not yellow.”
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Auston Trusty escapes red card for Jack Butland head kick
Gers supporters were furious that Auston Trusty caught Jack Butland in the face late in the first half and was only booked himself.
While the Celtic defender didn’t make contact with the same force as Aasgaard the Light Blues keeper had already gathered a loose ball when an apparently-needless extra swipe saw him take a boot to the face.
Walsh opted to only show yellow, while VAR confirmed the call, and Hackett agrees with the decision, exclusively telling Ibrox News: “The Celtic player could easily have avoided contact with the goalkeeper. However the yellow card for a reckless challenge was for me the correct decision.
“There was no malice in the actions of the Celtic player and that has saved him from receiving a red card.”
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