SPOT A FARCE

three that aren’t. For the second penalty, it wasn’t a dive by Defoe.

“As he goes to check inside on Paul McGinn, Paul thinks about putting a foot in, then withdraws his leg.

“Defoe expects contact and jumps back up again. He makes a move towards the ref as if to defend himself and say it was an accident.

“For the third one, you can ddebate whether Greg Tansey iis inside or outside the box w wwhen the ball hits his hand.

“But the rul ing is on u uunnatural position and tthat’s what I wanted to clarify with Andrew.

“He does raise his hands but puts them in front of his face. That’s not unnatural. Whether he’s outside the box or not is irrelevant.

“For the final one, there’s contact outside the box and then Candeias takes off and lands inside.”

Ibrox gaffer Gerrard said Dal las sprang top the defence of his players.

Rangers skipper James Tavernier scored two and missed one before handing the fourth to Defoe, leaving hitman Morelos miffed.

Gerrard said: “I’m not sure I’ve been in a game when a team got four penalties.

“I remember against Manchester United we got three for Liverpool because I took them.

“For our second one, Jermain didn’t appeal and tried to ride the challenge.

“The contact is debatable but the ref has given it.

“I thought all the others were penalties. For the handball, the St Mirren player handled it first outside the area but it was like a catch so he still handles it inside.

“The first one was blatant but the ref missed one on Alfredo so there could have been five.”

Defoe admitted he was surprised to get a second spot kick but denied diving.

He said: “I didn’t claim for it and I was a little surprised to get it but I’d never dive.

“When I see people diving it’s cheating.”

Gerrard didn’t mind his strikers squabbling over spot kicks with Tavernier but says the skipper will always be first in line.

He said: “There were three or four people trying to wrestle it out of James’ hands but moving forward, he’ll be taking them because he’s really good at them.

“You can understand strikers wanting to get on the scoresheet. James is the penalty taker and if he’s not on the pitch, Alfredo will take them, then Jermain.”