Relieved Michael Beale insists Malik Tillman deserves no stick for his controversial goal that led to his side gifting Partick Thistle an equaliser - and is adamant it was simply a "misunderstanding."
Beale's side edged out a narrow Scottish Cup win over the Championship side in a tie that had it all. Thistle led through a controversial first half penalty and after Antonio Colak had equalised, Gers took the lead in controversial style through Tillman, who robbed Kevin Holt of possession as he attempted to give Rangers the ball back after an injury stoppage.
Beale then ordered his team to let their opponents equalise and Scott Tiffoney took the ball up the park and did just that. But it was the home team who had the last laugh as an own-goal from Connor McAvoy eventually put the defending champions in the hat for the last eight.
The Tillman incident was always going to be the major talking point but Beale reckons it was just a "misunderstanding" from his player. Beale said on Viaplay: "There was a massive misunderstanding in the whole thing. Malik gets injured, it goes out of play, but he doesn't see it's been kicked out for a throw-in. Naturally when he stands up, he thinks he's got to press the throw, that's the instruction you usually give.
"He hasn't seen that Partick are going to kick it back to us. It's controversial, but this football club is build on high standards, we want the best for the game and I didn't think it was right and just to win a game in that way. Not at home, not against Partick Thistle, not in any game in the cup.
"I made a lot of mistakes today in terms of my team selection but that wasn't one of the mistakes I made. It was the right thing to do for football and to uphold the standards of this football club. If you watch it back, it was a big misunderstanding and I don't want it hanging about his head, that would be unfair to him."
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