An irate Nick Montgomery criticized referee Steven McLean for his pivotal decisions during the match, including awarding Rangers a penalty and issuing a red card to Nathan Moriah-Welsh.
In a match filled with tension at Easter Road, the game turned controversial when Jordan Obita was deemed to have fouled Dujon Sterling in the penalty area, leading McLean to award Rangers a penalty. James Tavernier’s initial penalty was stopped by David Marshall, but John Lundstram scored on the follow-up. As the game progressed, emotions ran high.
Later, Obita was shown his second yellow card after a clash with Rabbi Matondo, and shortly after, Moriah-Welsh was sent off with a direct red for a challenge on Lundstram. Rangers capitalized on their numerical advantage when Fabio Silva scored towards the end of the match, cementing their win.
Montgomery expressed his dissatisfaction with the officiating to Viaplay, pointing out that his team had dominated portions of the game and had opportunities to equalize. He was particularly upset about the penalty awarded against them and questioned the consistency of the refereeing, especially in comparison to a similar incident involving Martin Boyle in a previous match against Celtic.
Highlighting the controversial red card shown to 21-year-old Moriah-Welsh, Montgomery argued that there appeared to be no contact on the play that warranted such a punishment and was surprised that VAR wasn’t consulted for a closer look. Despite the disappointing decisions, Montgomery praised his team’s performance against a formidable Rangers squad, lamenting that they couldn’t capitalize on their chances.
