Former English Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher believes that Hearts stopper Craig Gordon 'couldn't have argued too much' had Scott Arfield's goal counted for Rangers at Tynecastle on Saturday lunchtime.
A brace from Antonio Colak preceded further additions from the returning Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent - with the latter bagging his first goal of 2022 - as fans saw Rangers run riot in Gorgie against Robbie Neilson's 10-men who struggled from the get go.
It could have been three at the interval following Colak's brilliance as Arfield tapped the ball into an empty net after Gordon had parried a Borna Barisic cross straight into his path with the goal gaping. However the former Burnley man's celebrations were cut short after Gordon was adjudged to have been fouled by new signing Rabbi Matondo in the build-up; and Gallagher believes it was the wrong decision with the Scotland No. 1 already committing to the challenge.
"Well Craig Gordon will say that he's fouled, he's gone to punch the ball and he's collided with a player," Gallagher said on Sky Sports.
"It's inevitable there will be a collision. If the referee had given a goal then I don't think Craig Gordon could have argued too much."
Gallagher also spoke about Celtic star Callum McGregor's challenge on Motherwell youngster Ross Tierney in the dying embers of their clash at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon. A stray ball from Japanese hero Reo Hatate accidentally set the Irishman through on goal before he was tugged back by the Hoops captain.
There was much debate as to whether Stephen Welsh would have been able to cover the skipper, yet Gallagher believes that had McGregor not halted the 21-year-old, Celtic would have dropped points for the fourth consecutive game.
"If you show this and show when Callum tugs him back, the full-back on the far side won't get there," he added. There's a lot of distance between them. Watch the pass from Hatate...there's the foul," he added. All he [Tierney] has got to do is go on one more yard and chip Joe Hart. He's not really being covered."
