Scottish FA chiefs are set to review match audio after the major Rangers vs St Johnstone goal flashpoint at Hampden.

There was major confusion inside the national stadium on Saturday after Cyriel Dessers fired Rangers into the lead in the eventual 2-0 result.

Referee Matthew MacDermid blew for a foul on Jack Sanders with Dessers adjudged to have tripped the defender before finishing.

However, the official then awarded the goal after a pitchside review of the incident following VAR intervention.

St Johnstone officials were furious over the incident with some claims the referee whistled or signalled for a free-kick before the phase of play ended.

The Scottish FA have stated that the whistle was only blown after the goal meaning there would be no major rule problems even after an assessment of match audio.

A statement read: "The whistle is blown after the goal is scored. The referee clearly communicates that he is going to award a foul after the goal is scored."

MacDermid also came under fire over his decision to delay whistling for a possible foul until the phase of play had ended - but IFAB rules allow for this in guidance when it involved a "very clear attacking situation".

The IFAB VAR protocol guidance reads: "Delaying the flag/whistle for an offence is only permissible in a very clear attacking situation when a player is about to score a goal or has a clear run into/towards the opponents’ penalty area".


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It's understood St Johnstone officials have asked for clarity over what happened in the complex situation meaning match audio will now be assessed with a timeline of events produced.

“What the f**k happened there?” said Levein after the match. “Anybody know? Anybody help me with it? I didn’t speak to the referee, what's the point?  I've been there a hundred times and I end up getting fined and then doubling my fine and then doubling it again.

“Some of them said he blew the whistle. I'm not being funny, but how could you hear? I don't know. I even tried to listen back to it on the footage and all the rest of it. I can't tell.

“I thought it was a foul for us. I thought that Jack had been tripped by Dessers and that's why Jack was on the ground. And that's why Dessers still had the ball. So I thought there's no danger here. They're going to rule this out because Jack's been fouled. That was what I thought. 

“Everybody stopped because of one or two things. Either they've stopped because they heard the whistle or they've seen the referee giving us a free kick. And then of course what makes it worse because the players are then really frustrated and say stuff to the referee they end up getting booked.

“I think the referee's made a mistake. That's what I think. And I'd love him to come out afterwards and just say, look I've got that one wrong. I'm going to get in trouble if I keep going. I find it very difficult to understand what happened and the logic behind that.”

Meanwhile, St Johnstone's Kyle Cameron has claimed the whistle was blown before the ball hit the net, stating: “The decision turned the game and it has cost us a result. I’m 90 percent sure that, as Dessers is about to finish, he’s blown his whistle. 

"He’s definitely signalling for a St Johnstone free-kick and I’m more than certain he’s blew before the ball hit the back of the net."

Philippe Clement said of the incident: "I had the feeling that first there was an idea about the fall of Cyril, but I hear from my staff that's what they told me. 

"I didn't see it myself, that the defender stepped on Cyril's foot instead of the other way around. So I think if that's the case, it's a good use of VAR. What happened today."