Rangers had to come from behind before defeating Falkirk 3-1 at Ibrox as both teams ended with ten men. The visitors took a shock lead through Steve Lovell, but a brace from Kris Boyd, one a penalty, and a clincher from Steven Davis saw Rangers close the gap on leaders Celtic to two points.

Patrick Cregg and Sasa Papac were both dismissed to reduce both teams to ten men by the end.

Falkirk boss John Hughes was unhappy with the dismissals and felt Boyd conned the referee into giving the spot kick.

"I don't think it was a penalty.

"I think big Boydy conned him and the referee fell for it - simple as that. That was a wrong decision.

"I think everyone knew it wasn't a penalty but we all make mistakes.

"You feel like you have been let down. Would we have won the game? I don't know but it would have given us something more to hang on to."

He added: "There were three big decisions in the game - the penalty and the two sendings-off - and I thought he got them all wrong.

"Papac's red card was laughable. But I wouldn't question the referee's integrity with the SPL ruling.

"The penalty certainly changed the game. But I'm honest enough - maybe the one when Olejnik clipped Boyd was a penalty."

Unsurprisingly, Rangers chief Walter Smith disagreed.

He said: "We had had a couple of claims which I wasn't too sure about. But I thought the one we did get was a penalty.

"I can't comment on Falkirk's ordering-off, I can only comment on Rangers' one.

"I think the referee felt the player had no intention of playing the ball and, if that's the case, he has to send him off.

"But I don't think there was anything particularly malicious in it."