By Ben Banks

Copyright scotsman

Ally McCoist could do nothing but praise Hearts for how they defeated Rangers – but refereeing decisions in the Premiership have left him dismayed. Two Lawrence Shankland goals either side of half time sealed a famous win and statement success for boss Derek McInnes. The 2-0 victory puts Hearts nine clear of Rangers in the league after five games and leaves Ibrox head coach Russell Martin under intense pressure over his future. Rangers icon McCoist could do nothing but give kudos for Hearts for the way they went about their business at the weekend. He senses an irony in Shankland being the man to down Rangers, having previously been linked to the Light Blues before penning a new Gorgie deal in the summer. He told talkSPORT: “It was terrible. I’ve got to say congratulations again to Derek and Hearts who played exceptionally well. The irony, the whole situation wasn’t lost to me, the guy that scored the two goals. If Rangers had gone and signed them 18 months ago they’d have won the league. “So the irony was incredible, Lawrence Shankland took his goals with one of them. The only thing I would say as well that’s worth mentioning, and believe me it is not an excuse because Rangers were diabolical and Hearts thoroughly deserved it. My concern with Rangers at this moment in time or one of my concerns is things are not going well. “The supporters can make that place an unbelievably difficult place to play and I’m looking at the mettle and the makeup of the squad and I’m not sure it can handle it to be honest with you. Well beaten at the weekend again by a good and well-organised Hearts team, who incidentally as I said earlier the irony of Lawrence Shankland who Rangers should have got 18 months ago and I believe he would have won them the league. “He scores the two goals. They brought in a 25-year-old I think he is, Claudio Braga, who’s done exceptionally well. So when you look at other clubs doing really really well in terms of recruitment, two centre-backs, he brings in Findlay from Kilmarnock and then Halkett. If Halkett can stay fit, that’s a really good centre-half pairing, really really solid, Cammy Devlin in the middle of the park works his socks off. Hearts are really well organised, tough to beat, and Derek’s done well with them but Rangers were incredibly disappointing.” McCoist did raise his eyebrows at a possible handball in the build-up to Shankland’s first goal, and combined with a controversial Celtic penalty versus Kilmarnock, was left aghast at refereeing performances in Scotland over the weekend. He added: “Some of the refereeing decisions and VAR at the weekend north of the border, oh my goodness. “Appalling. Oh my god, honestly it’s unbelievable (Celtic penalty incident) and to be fair Lawrence Shankland is a handball in the build-up to the goal. Absolutely ridiculous refereeing and VAR decisions north of the border. However, Rangers have got far more to worry about than VAR decisions and refereeing decisions, that is for sure. Rangers, massive problems, well done to Hearts. It would be wrong of me not to mention horrendous refereeing decisions and VAR decisions, horrendous, which we saw again at the weekend, but don’t let that overshadow the fact Rangers have been really poor.”