'I'd be livid if that was given against me': Pundits reckon Rangers penalty was harsh

Ally McCoist and Alan Stubbs agreed that Rangers were very fortunate to win a penalty late in the first half to make the score 2-2 at half-time against Standard Liege.

Alan Stubbs was part of BT Sport's coverage of Rangers' match with Standard Liege (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

A Kemar Roofe shot took a deflection from Maxime Lestienne and was scrambled behind for what seemed a corner by goalkeeper Arnaud Bodart. However referee Bojan Pandzic pointed to the spot for handball by the Belgian side’s defender and gave James Tavernier the chance to level on the cusp of the interval.

“It’s a very harsh decision,” said former Hibernian manager Stubbs during the break. “But in the laws of the games with UEFA it’s a penalty.”

“It’s a good point that in Europe it’s a penalty but domestically it’s probably not a penalty,” added McCoist.

“I’d be livid if that was given against me, let’s be honest,” said the former Rangers striker speaking on BT Sport’s coverage of the Europa League matchday five.

“It hits his hand but it’s not in an unnatural position.”

A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.