Sunday 22 March 2015 18:39, UK
Hibernian manager Alan Stubbs felt referee Willie Collum’s decision to allow Rangers second goal to stand in a 2-0 reverse at Easter Road, ruined the game.
Below-par Hibs lost in the Championship for the first time to the Glasgow club this season, and it was also the team’s first defeat since December.
The hosts were trailing to a Lee Wallace goal just before the interval and pushing for an equaliser when the former Hearts full-back caught Paul Hanlon as he tried to break up a Rangers attack, but Collum allowed play to continue as the ball fell to Kenny Miller and the striker scored.
Stubbs did not pull any punches over the decision, but chose his words carefully after a match that resulted in Hearts sealing promotion to the top flight because of Hibernian’s defeat.
"I've been in management a short time. I was player a long time. Over the years, that decision would be given 100 per cent of the time,” Stubbs said.
“I think that's probably the best way to describe it without me getting into trouble. Not 90 per cent, not 99 per cent - 100 per cent. But a guy who has an influence over a game decided differently.
"He's there to get the big calls right and he got a big call very, very wrong.
"Everyone in the stadium could see it was a foul. There's no way you can dress it up - it was a foul - Paul was caught after he cleared the ball and in the laws of the game it was a foul.
"It spoiled the game, although obviously not from Rangers' point of view.
"We were on top at the time and had Rangers pinned back. We weren't necessarily creating clear-cut chances but the momentum was building and it was a hug blow to be stopped in our tracks like that.
"However, it won't affect our season or what we want to do. We move on."
Rangers counterpart Stuart McCall watched the team win for the first time since his arrival, following draws in his previous two matches.
The win moves the Ibrox team to within three points of Hibernian and McCall, who praised the Robbie Neilson’s Championship winners, hopes his squad take heart from just a second success in 10 matches.
McCall said: "Firstly congratulations on winning the title to Robbie and his team. They have been outstanding all season.
"From our point of view, we are delighted with the performance and the result. It's only one game but what it will do is restore a bit of confidence, which has obviously been sorely lacking.
"If we want to go back into the top league then we will have to play Hibs in a two-legged decider.
"If we had got beaten again then that would have been four defeats, so that will naturally help.
"We want to go into the play-offs with a bit of momentum, spirit and confidence and players playing at the level they can play, and today will help them.
"We played a bit of a different shape to get into areas where we can cause them problems," McCall said.
"I have tried to emphasise all week that we ain't coming here to be lambs to the slaughter.
"We subdued them quite well and caught them on the counter. You can talk about formations and tactics but the bottom line is if the players show the desire and the willingness that they did today, then it's about players."
