Rangers book place in last eight after VAR drama

This was a cup tie with a strange sight and a debated noise. The Rangers players and coaches’ reaction to a home win against St Johnstone in the second round of the Premier Sports Cup was to stand in a line, arms around each other’s shoulders, and jump up and down in front of the similarly jubilant Union Bears ultras section. Otherwise a half-full Hampden was rapidly emptying. You could have been forgiven for thinking they had won the cup.
It was a weird moment liable to attract some ridicule if they do not actually go on to lift the trophy itself, but also show of appreciation and gratitude to the one element of the fanbase which sang throughout a tie they made heavy weather of winning. Relations are delicate around Rangers — there had been talk of a protest before the game — so perhaps the post-match scenes will serve as a useful act of connection between the players and a vocal element of the support. But the win itself was the most important thing after a bruising few days.
The debated noise came from the referee Matthew MacDermid’s whistle. Or maybe it didn’t. The opening goal was baffling and controversial. Cyriel Dessers wrestled away from the defender Jack Sanders at the edge of the box and MacDermid pointed for a foul and a free kick to St Johnstone as Dessers carried on and lashed home an emphatic finish. St Johnstone believed play was no longer live at that moment and they were unsurprised when the goal was disallowed. Some of their players were sure they heard MacDermid blow his whistle. Then a VAR check was announced on the screens and MacDermid went to look at his monitor. To St Johnstone’s disbelief he returned to the pitch and signalled that the goal would stand. He had changed his mind — rightly — that Dessers had committed a foul. The SFA later said he had not actually blown for a foul in the first place, despite gesturing for one, and therefore the goal was valid. It seemed inconceivable that any official would gesture for a free kick without blowing his whistle, but that was the line.
Clear as mud, then. The moment eased the tension for Rangers and shaped the tie. It was heading towards extra time given Rangers’ wastefulness in front of goal. They might have taken a handful of chances but eventually added only one more when Ross McCausland finished tidily in stoppage time. It was a precious victory for them given the uproar had they gone out of a second tournament four days after being eliminated from the Champions League.
There had been rumours of a protest outside the ground before the game but that never materialised. Neither did the fans, or at least not in anything like their usual numbers. A cocktail of factors combined, one discouragement after another. The support is scunnered with the club and that was evident from Hampden’s tens of thousands of empty seats. Behind one goal the sweep of the East Stand. At the other side of the ground the traditional Rangers end was sparsely occupied too.
St Johnstone struggled down the right side of their defence, unable to contain Jefte and Rabbi Matondo’s pace and their combinations with Mo Diomande. Drey Wright had a tough time. Matondo had an early shot parried by the St Johnstone goalkeeper, Josh Rae. Danilo is reckoned to be their best striker but, preferred to Dessers in the starting team, he was wasteful. When Jefte set him up with a cutback Danil side-footed a great chance over the bar. When Diomande’s shot was parried by Rae the rebound fell invitingly for Danilo but he fired it into the goalkeeper. Diomande gave him another cross and Danilo headed that wide as well. At half-time Danilo was hooked and Dessers took over.
Not that he was the only guilty party. Vaclav Cerny thrashed a finish over the top. Jefte and Matondo had efforts deflected over the bar. Cerny did catch one cross with a sweet volley and Rae did really well to save.
St Johnstone were giving Rangers too many chances even if they created some of their own. This club won two cup finals in an empty Hampden in 2020-21 and for almost an hour they kept Rangers anxious. Andre Raymond cut inside and his shot was going in until it hit Robin Propper for a corner. Then Matt Smith’s delivery from the right found Adama Sidibeh’s fabulous connection for a close-range shot which flashed off the outside of Jack Butland’s post.
Rangers continued as the better side, unable to capitalise on their control. Matondo struck a poor shot straight at Rae and Cerny bent one across the goal and wide. When James Tavernier shaped to take a free kick in a dangerous position, only for Cerny to take it again and shoot into the wall, the home support groaned.
Their players’ confidence was fragile and there were too many misplaced passes and poor touches. Matondo and Desssers had further chances but the opening goal had changed the tie. St Johnstone feared getting a red card but Sidibeh correctly survived a VAR check after catching John Souttar with his arm. Butland saved from Sidibeh, who then missed his kick entirely when the ball dropped to him at the back post. Rangers added their second at the end. Connor Barron pushed a pass that Dessers flicked on for McCausland to dink a neat little finish over Rae. Soon they were celebrating like it meant the world.
Rangers (4-2-31–1) Butland, Tavernier, Souttar, Propper (Davies 45), Jefte, Sterling, Dowell (Barron 62),Cerny (McCausland 82), Diomande, Matondo (Fraser 82), Danilo (Dessers 46).
St Johnstone (3-5-2) Rae,Neilson,Sanders,Cameron,Wright, MacPherson (Kirk 75),Carey,Matthew Smith (Clark 83), Raymond, Sidibeh,Mbunga-Kimpioka. Booked Raymond, Sidibeh .
Referee Matthew MacDermid.
What is the key takeaway from this match?
The Scottish FA is to assess the audio of referee Matthew MacDermid’s decision-making at Cyriel Desser’s opening goal. The governing body has stepped in because St Johnstone are confused and angry about how the incident unfolded and that play continued when they felt MacDermid had whistled for it to stop.
MacDermid gestured that he was awarding a free kick for a foul by Dessers on defender Jack Sanders but crucially St Johnstone players also believe he blew his whistle — stopping the game — only for play to continue and Dessers to score a moment later. MacDermid disallowed the goal but VAR Greg Aitken called him to the pitchside monitor, because Dessers had not actually fouled Sanders, and the decision was reversed.
New SFA head of refereeing Willie Collum has initiated a review. The SFA believes MacDermid only blew when the goal was scored and if that is the case he is in the clear. But if he blew his whistle to stop play before the goal was scored, he and the SFA have a major issue.
What moment got me out of my seat?
The controversy was the talking point of a reasonably comfortable Rangers win.
“I saw that he obviously was putting his arm up to give us a foul and then I thought there was a whistle blown before the ball had gone into the net,” said St Johnstone’s Matt Smith. “I thought I heard that. But the referee said he didn’t blow his whistle so I don’t really know where we can go from that. If a ref’s got his arms in the air and pointing as if he’s about to give a foul to us, I think that’s an indication that he thinks it’s a foul.”
Who was the standout performer?
Four days after he was harshly sent-off in the Champions League Jefte gave Rangers energy and drive down the left. That was an impressive reaction from the 20-year-old.