McCoist dismisses tunnel incident

Rangers manager Ally McCoist dismissed a tunnel altercation between Kirk Broadfoot and Manuel Pascali as "handbags" after his side emerged with a 2-0 win over Kilmarnock in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

The pair clashed following the full-time whistle at Ibrox and McCoist believes both were given yellow cards by referee Willie Collum. But the Gers boss says he witnessed the whole incident and was keen to play it down afterwards.

He said: "I played here for 15 years and that wouldn't rate in the top 25 of tunnel incidents. I'm not trying to play it down but it was absolutely nothing. I think the two players got a yellow card."

McCoist added: "I could sit and give you an hour on the incidents you would like to hear about but that was genuinely nothing. I saw the whole thing and it was like two boys in the playground. It was handbags, that's exactly what it was."

Second half goals from Nikica Jelavic and Gregg Wylde sealed a hard-fought victory after the opening 45 minutes ended goalless.

Rangers appeared to miss the influence of Steven Naismith, who was on Monday handed a retrospective ban by the Scottish Football Association for elbowing Austin McCann during Saturday's 4-0 win at Dunfermline.

Naismith was the first player to be tried under the SFA's new Fast Track Procedures and Rangers accepted the two-match ban, rather than fight the charge of violent conduct.

On the incident, McCoist said: "It was a mistake, that's what it is, and we have accepted it. We just want fairness. I'm still not sure who has banned Steven. It's not a problem because we have accepted it but it would be nice to know who has banned him.

"Steven's energy and his aggression and his desire are massive components of his game and I do not want to take that away from him. At the same time, everyone knows that you can't do what he did at the weekend.

"We are not arguing with the verdict but it would be nice to know who the judge and jury are. On a side issue, if anyone has come out of it better than most it's Austin McCann, who could have made more of it and didn't."