Smith calls for spotlight to move off officials

Rangers boss Walter Smith was "delighted" to win the first Old Firm derby of the season at Celtic Park and had a veiled dig at opposite number Neil Lennon for putting rookie referee Willie Collum under pressure ahead of the game. In the lead-up to the match the Hoops boss appealed for 31-year-old Collum, making his debut in the fixture, to get the big decisions right. Afterwards, Lennon felt Collum let him down on two crucial verdicts - his failure to show a second yellow card to Lee McCulloch for preventing Georgios Samaras going through on goal and the nature of Rangers` second-half penalty. Smith said: "I think there was unfair pressure on Willie Collum, there isn't any doubt about that but I felt he handled the game extremely well. "We will always have arguments about one or two decisions but that's two Old Firm games out of three that the referee has been put under an unfair pressure before the start of the game. "During all the time that I have been involved, in the majority of Old Firm games, if you look at it later on it is the best team that wins. There is too much focus being placed on referees at the present moment. There comes a time when we have to stop and look at what's happening and don't keep blaming the officials."

Source: PA