Alan:Ref blewitfor Saintsin Gersloss

SEETHING St Johnstone keeper Alan Mannus has hit out at ref Steven McLean for his performance in their defeat to Rangers.

The Northern Irishman was left raging at the penalty award that handed Gers the breakthrough in Tuesday’s 4-1 Perth stroll.

Mannus was penalised for bringing down Alfredo Morelos but is adamant he touched the ball and a corner should have been awarded instead.

The goalie said: “I didn’t think it was a penalty. I felt the ball touch my leg.

“He has touched it first and it has touched my leg then we’ve gone into each other so it’s not a penalty.

“What am I meant to do? Just move out of the way for him once it has touched my leg? We were looking at the replay to see if it was clear the ball did touch me.

“We couldn’t see if it was clear but I was certain it did so for me it was a corner and not a penalty.”

Boss Tommy Wright also claimed after the game that McLean got the free-kick award wrong for the third Gers goal.

Murray Davidson was ruled to have fouled Jamie Murphy and Mannus said: “I didn’t see the incident clearly but everyone in our changing room didn’t think it was a free-kick.

“I’ve not seen a replay but again it’s another decision. So the first goal isn’t a penalty and the third goal isn’t a free-kick.

“Over the course of the first half we still weren’t good enough. But that would have taken away two of their goals.”

Saints now face a huge game at home to fellow strugglers Hamilton on Saturday with Accies just two points behind them having played a game less.

Mannus said: “We’ll have to start the game better. It’s massive and Hamilton are going to be up for it.” 1975: A world-record crowd of 104,000 watched Scotland beat Wales 12-10 at Murrayfield in the Five Nations Championship.