AIDEN McGEADY refused to blame referee Steve Conroy for Celtic’s failure to reduce Rangers’ seven-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League as the Old Firm derby finished 1-1 at Parkhead.
Conroy, officiating in his first game between the Glasgow giants, chalked off a first-half goal from Marc-Antoine Fortune when it looked like he had fairly won an aerial challenge with Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor.
The official was also lenient towards Kyle Lafferty when he only showed the Rangers striker a yellow card for a dangerous late challenge on Andreas Hinkel.
The home side ignored those two controversial decisions to dominate almost the whole game and despite missing numerous chances, it looked like they would take all three points. McGeady, though, insists Celtic can only blame themselves for being denied victory.
“You can’t really blame the referee for us not winning the game, we had more than enough chances to win it,” he said.
“We should have had the game wrapped up at half-time. We had the majority of chances and possession and on another day it could have been three or four.
“We would have gone in 1-0 up at half-time if the goal was given but I wouldn’t say this guy or that guy should have been sent off. I haven’t seen it (the disallowed goal) again. At the time I thought he gave it and he pulled it back for a foul. I don’t know what he gave it for, maybe a barge on the ’keeper, I don’t know but from where I was the referee did okay.”
Despite the loss, the Republic of Ireland midfielder insists the title race is far from over. “It felt like a defeat at full-time,” he said. “Everyone was gutted when the (Rangers) goal went in, it was deflating for everyone, it was hard to take. But it’s not the be-all and end-all because Rangers drew today. The league is not over and we don’t have to go out and spend massively and get a full new team in. The players who played today did well. We switched off at the set-piece and that has happened to us a few times this season but we should have done our job at the other end.”
Tony Mowbray insists his decision to start with Fortune instead of McDonald was correct, despite the Australia international’s strike. The Celtic boss said: “I wasn’t surprised he (McDonald) scored – he came off the bench at Falkirk and scored two. Scott should be worried that he is not going to be turned in to a guy who does that.
“He is not very happy to be sitting on the bench, of course, I understand that, but my job is to pick a team who can go and give Rangers problems and I don’t think anyone could say that the front two didn’t give Rangers problems. So I feel vindicated the selection was fine. I know what Scott brings to the team, he came off the bench and did that.”
Mowbray, who had “no argument with the referee at all”, still believes his players can overcome the seven-point deficit.
“Very evidently, we can challenge for the title,” he said. “It was there in front of your eyes and we will be okay, I’m sure. I think we warranted enough to get three points but it’s about putting the ball in to the net.”
Rangers’ goalscorer McCulloch acknowledged the pressure Rangers had been put under for most of the afternoon. “They will be banging their heads against the wall thinking ‘why did we not win that game?’” he said. “It showed great character for us to come back into the game and grab the goal and hang on.”
