Andy Halliday believes Livingston’s Cammy Kerr should have been sent off for his late tackle on Mikey Moore.

However, he argued Rangers should not have been awarded a penalty for the foul.

The incident occurred towards the end of the match as visitors Rangers were striving for a victory.

Moore made a run towards the goal and was subsequently tackled by Kerr.

The referee did not penalise this tackle on the pitch and after a rapid VAR assessment, it was indicated that a full review was unnecessary.

Presumably, the reason for this was that it was judged the foul had taken place outside the box.

Rangers were incensed by Sky Sports’ freezeframe at the point of contact showed it wasn’t inside the box and therofore VAR was right not to get involved.

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The consensus among the pundits was aligned with this decision.

Yet, Halliday maintained that, akin to Cristian Montano who was earlier ejected for the same offence, Kerr should have been sent off, thereby reducing Livingston to nine men.

Halliday said: “Well, it’s without doubt a foul.

“We sometimes criticise VAR, but the criticism in this occasion has to come to the referee Ryan Lee for the fact he has not given a foul in the first place.

“VAR had a look and you can see the initial point of contact looks as if it is just outside the box.

“While there is a continuation into the box, Mikey Moore’s left leg is just outside.”

Eilidh Barbour asked if Kerr had denied a clear goalscoring opportunity to which Kris Boyd countered: “It is difficult to say as I think you see somebody in cover there.

“Because it is so close, there will be Rangers fans who are disappointed, but the reality is it is not a penalty kick.

“The point of contact is clearly outside the box.”

Pointing out that the laws of the game were correctly applied when determining Kerr’s foul was outside the box, Boyd said: “A lot of Rangers fans are unhappy with the decision, but it is the correct one in the laws of the game.”

Upon being questioned whether it was indeed a red card, Halliday stated: “If Mikey Muir is not fouled there, he is volleying the ball towards goal.

“It is not as if he is trying to take a touch into the box; he is ready to take a strike.

“For me, that is a red card and a foul.”

James McFadden indicated his surprise at the game being restarted with Livingston in possession of the ball, saying: “I think that is an easier decision for the referee to give a foul initially because Cammy Kerr is coming from the wrong side with the wrong foot.

“I thought it was a foul.”

Furthermore, citing several red-card incidents witnessed over the past week, Halliday asserted: “You cannot tell conclusively they are getting a shot when brought down at the halfway line.

“In this instance, there is much more of a chance of Mikey Moore getting a shot away.”

Boyd expressed his concern about referees relying excessively on VAR for decisions: “They are relying on VAR to bail them out a lot of the time.

“On the pitch, it should have been clear as day that it was a foul.”

Boyd noted the frustration experienced by Rangers and their fans due to the absence of a free kick: “The big frustration for Rangers fans and Danny Rohl is that the referee did not make the decision.

“So, they did not get an opportunity to take the free-kick because VAR cannot award that.”