'Without question' - McCann reacts to controversial Rangers incident v Hearts on BBC Sportscene

Rangers midfielder Connor Barron’s controversial handball against Hearts would have been given as a penalty last season, according to Neil McCann.

Speaking on BBC Sportscene (3 August 7:42pm), former Gers player McCann said he was glad a penalty wasn’t given against Barron after Yan Dhanda’s cross hit him on the forearm.

The Tynecastle crowd were baying for a spot-kick after Barron turned to block and the ball glanced off his forearm, but McCann acknowledged the change in handball interpretation from referees this season.

Reviewing the incident, McCann said: “Without question this is given last season.

“The rules haven’t changed, the laws of the game haven’t changed – but the interpretation has been relaxed a bit here and I for one am pretty pleased about it.”

Connor Barron avoids nightmare Rangers debut

As the only one of the Light Blues’ brand new signings who made their debut from the off at Tynecastle, there were plenty of eyes on Barron as he lined up alongside Mohamed Diomande in midfield.

The free transfer from Aberdeen is no stranger to hostile Premiership atmospheres of course, but the Hearts supporters certainly didn’t let up when that cross from the right by Dhanda struck his forearm.

Barron was able to brush off the nightmare scenario of conceding a potentially game-deciding penalty on his first competitive start for the club, and put in an ‘industrial’ performance otherwise.

With Jack Butland the Gers’ best player on the day and Cyriel Dessers still firing blanks up front, Barron and his new-look midfield will be far from the top of Philippe Clement’s list of worries.

There’s plenty to still be done in the transfer market with Clement still keen on a more experienced midfield presence [Daily Record, 15 July], but in Barron, the Belgian has someone who looks set to give his all to the cause.

In other Rangers news, Clement gave an update on Oscar Cortes after the Colombian picked up an injury at Tynecastle.

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