KENNY Miller, the Rangers striker, last night claimed that Scott Brown, the Celtic captain, was aware what he was doing when his outstretched arm struck him in the head at Ibrox on Saturday.
Miller has also insisted he could have been hurt in a tackle by Jozo Simunovic in the first half of the Ladbrokes Premiership match and argued the Celtic centre half had used excessive force.
Rangers fans were incensed that match official John Beaton, who was taking charge of a Glasgow derby game for the first time, failed to punish two challenges on the striker at the weekend.
The 37-year-old went to ground clutching his face after colliding with the arm of his former Scotland team mate Brown as he challenged for the ball in the centre of the park.
The Celtic midfielder, who was cleared to play in the game on Thursday after having the red card he received in the match against Ross County earlier this month reduced to a yellow by an SFA disciplinary panel, was spoken to by the referee.
Simunovic, meanwhile, played on after a challenge for the ball which left his opponent lying in a crumpled heap on the Ibrox turf. The laws of the game state that a player has committed a foul if a challenge is careless, reckless or uses excessive force.
Asked about the first incident, Miller said: "Broony's Broony so you are not going to complain too much, but he knew what he was doing.
“The Simunovic one in the first half? Honest to God! I'm trying to get out the way of it. If I go and ride that, there is the potential you could get hurt in the tackle.
“I appreciate he did play the ball, but what's the term that gets used now? Excessive force, I think there was definitely excessive force in that."
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