Penalty Controversy as Rangers Escape Late VAR Review Against Motherwell

Motherwell captain Paul McGinn has admitted he was left astonished after his side were denied what he felt was a clear penalty late on in their narrow defeat to Rangers, insisting the officials missed a crucial decision during a tense finale at Ibrox.

The Steelmen were beaten 1-0 on Saturday, suffering their first loss in 10 matches, but the result was overshadowed by a controversial moment deep into stoppage time. With Motherwell pushing desperately for an equaliser, substitute Lukas Fadinger went to ground inside the penalty area following a challenge from Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez. To the disbelief of the visiting players, referee David Dickinson waved play on, and VAR did not intervene in any meaningful way.

McGinn believes Rangers escaped punishment and suggested panic crept into the home side’s defence as the clock ticked down. Speaking after the match, the Motherwell skipper made it clear he could not understand why a spot-kick was not awarded.

“I thought Rangers were a bit nervy at that stage,” McGinn said. “Fernandez looked panicky to me, he stuck his leg out, and I just don’t understand how it hasn’t been given.”

While McGinn admitted he did not have a perfect view of the incident in real time, he was convinced by the reaction of his teammate. According to the captain, Fadinger’s honesty as a player is what made the decision so frustrating.

“I was quite far away from it, but I could tell straight away from Lukas’ reaction,” he explained. “He’s not the type of player who rolls around or tries to buy fouls. If he goes down softly, he’s usually the first to admit it and get back up. That’s why I was confident we’d get pulled back for a penalty.”

Instead, play continued almost immediately, something that left McGinn even more baffled given the purpose of VAR.

“When I looked over, I was hopeful it would be checked properly,” he said. “But it seemed to be over very quickly. The whole point of VAR is to take a good look at those moments.”

Despite his frustration, McGinn accepted that Motherwell cannot dwell too long on the incident. He acknowledged Rangers were stronger going forward overall and stressed the importance of focusing on improvement rather than grievance.

“They were probably better than us in attacking areas today,” he said. “We have to concentrate on moving forward from here.”

The captain was also candid about Motherwell’s own shortcomings, particularly in the final third. While pleased with aspects of their performance, he felt his side once again failed to make the most of promising situations.

“We still had good moments in the game,” McGinn reflected. “But when you come to Ibrox, you need to take your chances, especially when you’re on top. We didn’t do that.”

He suggested the inability to convert opportunities has become an ongoing issue this season.

“There have been too many games where we’ve been toothless,” he admitted. “I felt we created some really good situations, but we were sloppy with them. And when that happens, Rangers can hurt you because you’re left exposed — and they’ve got quality players who can punish mistakes.”

Motherwell did manage to stay in the contest for long spells and at times relied on a slice of good fortune, but McGinn was convinced the outcome could have been very different had they shown more composure in front of goal.

“We probably rode our luck at times,” he said. “But if we’d taken our chances, it could have been a completely different game.”

Ultimately, the defeat ended Motherwell’s impressive unbeaten run and left them feeling aggrieved by what they believed was a missed opportunity — both in terms of refereeing decisions and their own attacking efficiency. While the late penalty incident will continue to be debated, McGinn was clear that the focus must now shift to learning lessons and ensuring Motherwell are more clinical in future matches.