Neil Warnock denied Rangers penalty ammo but ref's Dujon Sterling red card strength 'made his day'

Neil Warnock has insisted Aberdeen should have been awarded a penalty at Rangers following Connor Goldson’s handball.

But the Dons boss has also admitted it made his day when the SFA’s panel backed referee Don Robertson and threw out Dujon Sterling’s red card appeal. Warnock didn’t speak about the penalty-box decision in the dying moments of the 2-1 defeat to Rangers on Tuesday night because he hadn’t seen the incident.

He revealed he blasted the Dons analysts for not showing him the footage that appeared to reveal the ball hitting Goldson’s hand in the box. And it's something he could have used in his post-match debrief. Warnock said: “It was handball and I have seen it given in England. His hand went up, didn’t it? I didn’t see it at the time. I gave the IT guy a rollocking for not telling me before I went into the press because I could have had ammunition.”

Warnock was happier with Robertson’s call to send off Sterling for a challenge on Jack MacKenzie – which the appeals body later backed. The Dons boss knew it was a big call to go to the VAR screen, watch the replays and then stick by his original decision and Warnock said: “That is good and made my day. I thought it was excellent.

“You have to take your hat off (to him). I went in and saw him (Don Robertson) and said I have to admire you because I have never seen that in England ever and it should have been done loads of times.

“He said, ‘I know I will probably get stick’. I told him, ‘no you will be admired by me and fellow football people like me’.”

There is now talk of a new blue card and possible sin bins coming in but Warnock believes that will only heap more pressure on officials. He admitted: “Referees have enough problems without some more. I am fortunate it