Ref Watch: Kemar Roofe's Rangers goal should have stood in Old Firm defeat, says Dermot Gallagher
«The referee has got it absolutely correct on the pitch — it's not a foul,» says ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher to Kemar Roofe's disallowed opener in Rangers' loss to Celtic at Ibrox; Rangers also saw early Rabbi Matondo strike ruled out for offside
Former Premier League referee
Monday 4 September 2023 14:25, UK
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Kemar Roofe's goal against Celtic, which was ruled out by VAR, should have stood as the opener in the Old Firm game at Ibrox, says ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher.
Roofe struck what appeared a legitimate opener 28 minutes into Saturday's first Glasgow derby of the season, firing home a powerful finish after Cyriel Dessers outmuscled Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke and teed him up.
On-field referee Don Robertson initially gave the goal but later overturned his own decision after being sent to the review monitor by VAR official Alan Muir, in what ex-Rangers forward Kris Boyd labelled a «shocking decision».
Speaking on Monday's edition of Ref Watch, Gallagher sympathised with the hosts, who went on to lose 1-0 to Kyogo Furuhashi's winner in first-half injury-time which already leaves them four points off the top of the Scottish Premiership.
«The referee has got it absolutely correct on the pitch — it's not a foul,» he said. «Dessers gets in front of him.
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»All I can think is, when he gets to the screen, he thinks he has pushed him. If the VAR hadn't intervened no one would really have been complaining. It's certainly not a foul with his feet."
Former Liverpool and England defender Steven Warnock agreed, pointing to the reaction of Lagerbielke's team-mates to his mistake.
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