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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Robbie Copeland

John Lundstram was playing Rangers red card 'poker' as former refs agree Bobby Madden had Celtic howler

Former top whistler Des Roache reckons John Lundstram pulled a card-trick to avoid being sent off against Celtic at the weekend.

And he and former ref Steve Conroy both reckon the Rangers star should have seen red at Hampden.

Bobby Madden was called into question by both sets of supporters during the Scottish Cup semi-final clash with neither end happy with how he controlled the game.

Chris Sutton claimed the whistler "embarrassed" himself while Michael Stewart said he had a "shocker" at the national stadium.

Central to the frustrations were a number of incidents involving Lundstram, who went off as a 102nd minute substitute before Carl Starfelt's own goal decided the tie.

And Roache, speaking on the Get Involved Referee podcast, reckons he should have walked before then.

He said: "I think that he was playing poker - going for a five card tricks. How he not just avoided being ordered off, but staying on the pitch for as long as he did beggars belief.

John Lundstram at Hampden (SNS Group)

"I’m sure on reflection when Bobby watched the match he would have seen that himself.

"You take the very first instance, I understand Bobby trying to get a feel for the game, getting the game going, getting an acceptable limit of what he is going to put up with. That is maybe pushing it too far, if there is a foul in the first minute and there is a foul in the 89th minute there should be the same reprisals that come from it.

"The incident of Joe Hart releasing the ball - that is as clear a caution as you are ever, ever going to see. There is no question, no debate.

"From then to go on, only a short matter of minutes later for his challenge on Hatate, which occurred just inside the centre circle, a blatant yellow card. And for another one to come...it’s not been Bobby’s best day.

"In my opinion, Rangers shouldn’t have had the option to bring him off as a substitute. John Lundstram should have been ordered off the field of play."

Conroy agreed, although he had a little more sympathy for Madden.

He went on: "Often in a Celtic-Rangers game, especially a cup semi-final you’ll maybe let things go more than you would normally.

"I agree with Des, a foul is a foul but sometimes you have to set the bar a wee bit higher in a Celtic-Rangers game but not so high that you are missing four, five. As clear a caution as you’ll ever see.

"And for him to escape another potential three, your tactics come to an end at some point and you have to start dealing with it. "

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