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Moment Rangers title hopes appeared to take a hit as Balogun sent OFF v Motherwell as Kris Boyd makes consistency appeal

RANGERS were a goal to the good and coasting at Fir Park when Leon Balogun had a moment of madness which left them in a difficult situation.

Dean Cornelius made good ground down the right flank with a nutmeg on Gers defender Borna Barisic but he was still a long way away from posing any real danger.

Rangers’ Leon Balogun (right) is sent off at Fir Park today
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Rangers’ Leon Balogun (right) is sent off at Fir Park today
Leon Balogun's red card challenge
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Leon Balogun's red card challenge

But Balogun opted to lunge for the ball and while he got a touch on the ball his studs flew over the top of the ball and caught Cornelius on the ankle.

Referee Nick Walsh had no option and sent the Nigerian defender to the stands.

Within minutes, the Gers' woes had intensified with Ross Tierney nodding in a Jake Carroll cross for the equaliser.

It left the ten-man Gers with it all to do if they are to maintain their slim hopes of overhauling Celtic at the top of the table, but Scott Wright fired them back into the lead just two minutes after the break.

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Watching pundits Kris Boyd and James McFadden were in agreement that it was a red card.

Former Gers hero Boyd did think that Well stopper Juhani Ojala could have followed him off the park for a lunge on Scott Wright which saw only a booking.

Boyd said: "I have no complaints about it and I don't think Leon Balogun can have any either.

"He is over the top of the ball and yeah that's a red card for me.

"But it's about the consistency of Nick Walsh. Ojala could easily have walked as well.

"The little areas where you are questioning the referees would be when you see the tackle right after it from Ojala and it is similar.

"It's not as over the top, but his two feet do leave the ground and that is a red card for me."

On the Ojala foul, his fellow pundit McFadden said: "I think he's fortunate it could have been a red, but its not exactly the same as the Balogun one, where it's over the ball and could hurt someone.

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"But he can still count himself lucky that it's not a red card."

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