Smith seeing red

12 April 2012

Walter Smith branded the red card issued to Madjid Bougherra during Rangers' 2-1 win over Aberdeen as "incredible".

But the Ibrox boss was also disappointed with the part Kyle Lafferty had to play in Charlie Mulgrew's dismissal earlier in the game.

Both teams ended the clash with 10 men as a result of the controversial decisions and Smith said: "I've seen both orderings-off on one occasion and I've got to say I was disappointed with my own player's reaction to the first ordering-off. I don't think there was any great contact made there at all and obviously we will have to have words with Kyle. The second ordering-off was incredible."

He added: "The linesman has stated to me that the player deliberately kicked the goalkeeper in the head, which I found absolutely incredible when I saw it [again] and even [when I saw it] from the stand.

"For him to make that kind of assumption is incredible. We've lost a player for the majority of the game for a circumstance which is obviously not the case."

Mulgrew saw red after just 18 minutes for an alleged headbutt on Lafferty, which the Northern Ireland international appeared to make the most of.

Bougherra then followed the Dons player down the tunnel for a challenge on goalkeeper Jamie Langfield shortly before half-time.

Smith believes Mulgrew's dismissal did Rangers no favours either, adding: "It had a negative effect on what happened in the game. For a long period of the game, it wasn't as open as it was before the ordering-off."

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