St Mirren's Penalty Miss Sparks VAR Controversy
St Mirren's 5-1 loss to Rangers in the Scottish League Cup has sparked controversy over a missed penalty, with VAR under fire for not intervening. The incident occurred in the opening exchanges of the match, with Rangers' Nicolas Raskin appearing to be pushed in the back by a St Mirren player, causing him to go to ground.
VAR Should Have Intervened, Says Ex-Ref Chief
Former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett has weighed in on the controversy, stating that VAR should have intervened and advised referee John Beaton to award Rangers a penalty. Hackett believes that the push on Raskin was a clear and obvious error, and that VAR's failure to intervene was a missed opportunity.
What Comes Next for St Mirren?
The victory against St Mirren will be a huge relief for Rangers manager Derek McInnes, who was under huge pressure after the Gers were knocked out of the Europa League last week. However, the dismantling of St Mirren was extremely encouraging and showed signs that McInnes could well be the right man for the job. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if the manager can ensure Rangers can keep up this level of performance going forward.
Recent Form
St Mirren are currently 10th in the Premiership, with 30 points from 33 games. They have scored 27 goals and conceded 48, with a goal difference of -21. They are 40 points behind leaders Heart of Midlothian and are on a 2-game winning run, with a recent form of 2W-3D-0L (WWDDD, most recent first).
Last Result
St Mirren's last result was a 1-0 win over Partick on May 25, 2026.
