ALLY MCCOIST has blasted the referee who denied Rangers a penalty against Genk for “the biggest cop out of the night”.
Matej Jug was the man in the middle at Ibrox as the Light Blues kicked off their Europa League campaign against the Belgian side.
Former Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-gyu had a penalty saved before scoring in the second half in an eventful night for him.
His penalty came nine minutes after Gers were denied a spot kick of their own in the first half.
And the incident left Rangers legend McCoist fuming with the ref.
James Tavernier went up for a header from a cross and as he attempted to nod the ball across goal, it struck the arm of Joris Kayembe.
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However, Kayembe was unsighted to the ball and his arms weren’t in an unnatural position, considering he was jumping to try and head the ball clear himself.
It also appeared as though Tavernier leaned his own arm into the defender.
Jug initially never gave a penalty but was summoned to the VAR booth to review the incident.
In the end he didn’t overturn his decision to award a spot kick – and instead he gave Genk a free-kick for a foul by Tavernier.
Most inside Ibrox couldn’t believe it and McCoist was similarly aggrieved, claiming the referee MADE UP the push so that he could avoid giving the penalty.
He said on TNT Sports‘ live broadcast: “He’s not giving it, is he?
“There you are, I would actually call that a cop out. That is the biggest cop out you will see all night, that’s is what that is.
“The referee knows he should give the penalty on current laws of the game, so he has probably invented a shove and took the easy way out.
“I would have had more respect for the referee if he had just said I am not giving a penalty for the handball, me personally.
“I would have had far more respect for him. I genuinely think there is that much carnage with handball and penalties we have to bring the word ‘deliberate’ back into it.”
McCoist did admit however that he personally felt a penalty SHOULDN’T have been given for a handball, despite the way the rules are being interpreted these days.
He said: “It’s not a handball, man. The guy has jumped for the ball and it has hit his arm, yes… but, I don’t know. I’m a firm believer in bringing back the word deliberate.
“There is no way on this earth that it is anything like deliberate.
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“I do take the point that is here preventing the ball going on target? Probably.”
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