The Scotsman

ALEXANDER SAYS EQUALISER 'SHOULD NOT HAVE COUNTED'

- By MATTHEW ELDER

Motherwell boss Graham Alexander has questioned whether the goal that spared Rangers from their first league defeat of the season should have stood. Cedric Itten came off the bench to rescue a point for Steven Gerrard's side with 18 minutes remaining after Devante Cole had fired Motherwell into a first-half lead at Fir Park.

The Swiss striker nodded home a Borna Barisic cross at the back post to extend Rangers’ unbeaten campaign to 24 matches, but after watching replays of the goal post-match, Alexander felt Itten was offside.

"The frustratio­n is the goal which I don't believe should have counted," he told Sky Sports.

"I didn't see it at the time at all but I've seen the stills and pictures and the lad looks offside when the ball comes in.

"But that's not within our control.

"All I can concentrat­e on is the structure of the team, the players’ motivation and the togetherne­ss of everyone at the club, and that for me was top notch today."

The point took Motherwell

off the bottom of the Premiershi­p table and made it two points from two games for the new boss.

Alexander, pictured left, added: "The players deserve all the credit because they took on our game plan.

"I thought we were the better team in the first half in our structure. In the second half [Rangers] were always going to build up momentum and pressure but we defended really well.”

"But for a cross and an offside header we take three points so the players have got to take great confidence from that.”

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