PETER Houston last night accused referee John McKendrick of allowing himself to be influenced by the Rangers management team after watching his Falkirk side succumb to a late defeat at Ibrox.
Houston was incensed that McKendrick awarded Rangers a free-kick in a dangerous area just outside the Falkirk penalty area in the 81st minute after an incident involving Tom Taiwo and Nicky Law.
The Championship rivals had been drawing 1-1 at that point in an evenly-matched game after Will Vaulks of the visitors had cancelled out an early opener by Dean Shiels for the home team.
But James Tavernier netted the free-kick to put Rangers 2-1 ahead and then Lee Wallace rifled home a long-range injury-time goal to make the scoreline 3-1 as Falkirk were chasing an equaliser.
The match official had angered Mark Warburton, the Rangers manager, and his coaching staff in the first half with two offside decisions against Martyn Waghorn.
“The Rangers and backroom staff were having a right pop at the referee going up the tunnel at half time about giving them nothing," said Houston.
"He certainly gave them something in the second-half. You wonder if pressure like that has got to the referee. I don't know.
“I am totally aggrieved with the fact that he gave a foul against us when Tom Taiwo clearly won the ball and the man fell into him and went down. It was never a free-kick in a month of Sundays.
“When Tom Taiwo wins the ball, the player jumps into the man and the referee gives a free-kick against the man who has won the ball! That is not a foul. Shocking decision. It cost us the match, 100 per cent.
“He reckons that our player won the ball and then went through the Rangers player. Absolute nonsense. So that upset me because I think our players put a lot into it. Rangers are a good side, I don't deny that. But pressure on the referee has got to the referee in my opinion."
Houston, who is certain to face disciplinary action from the SFA following his outburst, was also angry that Danny Wilson, the Rangers centre half, escaped punishment for a late challenge on Craig Sibbald, the Falkirk midfielder, early on.
“In the first minute of the game Craig Sibbald is clearly taken out. It has got to be a yellow card,” he said. “There is no 'first tackles' any more. It is a t least a yellow card. At least.
“The referee didn't recognise foul play when it should have been a yellow card in the first minute but recognised foul play when there was no foul committed. So for me the referee has cost us a couple of points today. I went into see him. He is reporting me to the association for my language."
Asked if he thought the complaints from the Rangers management team at half-time and the abuse from the Rangers supporters in the 45,135 crowd had got to McKendrick, Houston said: “Honestly? Yeah.”
He added: “You have got to be brave when you come to these kind of places. By the way, Rangers were cracking up about some of the decisions which went against them and one or two I thought they were right to be cracking up.
“But you have got to be a strong person in the middle of the park who is going to referee the game the best way possible."
Warburton, whose side are now nine points clear of nearest rivals Raith Rovers at the top of the Championship table, dismissed Houston’s comments.
“Pressure from the home dugout?” he said. “I find that interesting. There were contentious decisions on both sides.”
Asked if he or his coaching staff had unfairly pressurised the referee, Warburton replied: “Far from it. There was no one to talk to. There was no fourth official. Who do you talk to? There’s no one to speak to.
“We weren’t happy with a couple of decisions and we’ve got to make our point clear and in a respectful way. I think you would agree, the crowd would agree, there were a number of contentious decisions and we have just have to get on with the game and be as professional as we can.”
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