In what was a typical Aberdeen – Rangers encounter, the referee was required to be in control, to be firm but to let the game flow.
Kevin Clancy provided none of that, epitomised by the two needless cards that were shown to Ryan Kent, leading to his dismissal in the second half last night.
Former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson, speaking on GO Radio, added to a wide scrutiny of the decisions made by the man in the middle.
The big call in the first half could have gone either way, but with minimal contact and Ryan Hedges already spinning to fall, it made the call easier and that went in Rangers favour – just seconds later, quick play and pinpoint exchanges saw Ianis Hagi sweep home Ryan Kent’s inviting delivery.
Unfortunately that would be as good as it got for the visitors, who didn’t get going at all after the restart.
🗣 "Some of the refereeing decisions, for me, were baffling"
🟥 Barry Ferguson on yesterday's Premiership game between Aberdeen and Rangers
Watch ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/z3vRbjTQmj
— The Go Radio Football Show (@GoFootballShow) January 19, 2022
With Aberdeen gaining possession and territory, their equaliser followed as well as several questionable incidents from Clancy.
The penalty awarded to Stephen Glass’ team was the right call, but there was no need to book Alfredo Morelos. It wasnt deliberate nor directly preventing a goal. Even prior to that, we had a scrum-type challenge from Lewis Ferguson to pull back the Rangers defence as well as the double barge of Borna Barisic’ face right under the nose of the referee. No action.
With Ferguson converting the penalty, the ball had noticeably rolled back off the spot but again, nothing done.
The worst from Kevin Clancy was the petulant awarding of cards and facilitating Scott Brown’s ‘games’. Instead of playing through him like last season when the veteran was shown up, during Celtic’s doomed bid for the ten, Rangers fell into the trap of theatrics and Brown was happy to fall down or feign injury, with the ref buying it, hook, line and sinker.
As intimated by Ferguson above, neither of Kent’s incidents were worthy of a card and shows just how wrong Clancy got the calls that mattered.
Baffling to say the very least.