Michael Stewart admits sympathy with Rangers star after what he saw v Aberdeen

Michael Stewart has said he sympathises with Rangers man Connor Barron following the handball incident against Aberdeen on Saturday.

Danny Rohl’s side thought that they had added a fourth goal in stoppage time via Bojan Miovski, before it was chalked off for a Barron handball in the build-up.

The hosts would get their fourth minutes later, with James Tavernier rattling in a free-kick off the underside of the bar to seal a 4-1 victory.

Though the decision has been widely discussed since, with Rangers feeling hard done by in the aftermath.

Stewart has extended his sympathy to Barron after his part in the build-up caused the goal to be chalked off on Saturday.

Michael Stewart sympathises with Connor Barron following VAR decision

Second-half goals from Mikey Moore and Nicolas Raskin had put Rangers firmly in the ascendancy heading into the final stages.

Looking to bolster their goal difference on Saturday, attacker Miovski thought he had added a fourth in stoppage time – a goal that would have been his fifth of the campaign.

Speaking on the Scottish Football Social Club, former Hearts and Hibs man Stewart said: “I’ve got a great deal of sympathy with the attacking side when a goal gets chalked off, but it does almost feel like convention that it is.

“I do feel that there is a difference between in the box – having a penalty given against you like that – and just being penalised for gaining possession and starting an attack.”

Stewart provided commentary for Saturday’s clash at Ibrox, and recalled his own experience of the incident.

“I remember it happening at the time and thinking that the referee would never have seen it. Then the goal happened, and I was thinking to myself, ‘where’s it hit a hand?’ because it was that far back, that I had forgotten that it was the turnover of possession.

“It’s not the best example of it, but it does feed into the whole narrative of microscopically looking at things to chalk goals off and send players off, and I don’t feel that is in the spirit of the game.”

Rangers still made a big goal difference dent that could bring huge benefits

With the split approaching, Rohl’s side remain three points behind league leaders Hearts, while they leapfrogged Celtic as a result of their 2-0 defeat to Dundee United.

The three sides remain locked in a title race heading into the crucial point of the campaign, meaning that goal difference could play a monumental role in deciding the outcome in May.

The disallowed goal on Saturday brought about a moment of frustration, with Rangers looking to put Aberdeen to the sword and strengthen their goal difference in the process.

Fortunately, the hosts would get a fourth just minutes later via the Tavernier set piece.

And it will be these moments that could be looked back upon over the summer as the deciding factor in the title race.

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