TUGS & MISSES

OPPORTUNITY knocked for Rangers and their title aspirations at Pittodrie yesterday.

And the Ibrox side have VAR to thank that Aberdeen didn't slam it firmly shut for another season.

With the door left slightly ajar by Celtic's surprise slip-up at home to Motherwell, the prospect was on to slash the Hoops' Premiership lead back to six points.

But it was all set to be a missed chance completely as Barry Robson's resolute Reds refused to open up after taking an early lead through the impressive Bojan Miovski.

In the end, they got a result that keeps their hopes of chasing down Brendan Rodgers' team alive but that is likely the only satisfaction from another day of replay drama.

It looked like the Ibrox side would need a battering ram to get past Kelle Roos as he pulled off save after save.

That was until VAR's eagle eye spotted Stefan Gartenmann's penalty-box tug on Connor Goldson as the clock ticked into stoppage time.

The Rangers defender made no great appeal but he was delighted to get the award anyway as his skipper James Tavernier stepped up to stroke home the spot-kick, denying Aberdeen the honour of being the first team to topple Philippe Clement's Light Blues.

So it's as you were at the top of the table, with Rangers still eight points behind Brendan Rodgers' pace-setters with a game in hand.

The Dons stay ninth after putting in a performance that will only fuel the fire of those claiming they try harder against the Ibrox team.

But the decision that went against them is unlikely to hush the conspiracy theorists who insist Clydesdale House are out to help Rangers.

It was a soft award but given all 12 teams were this week given a reminder by referees chief Crawford Allan that the video officials will be keeping an eye out for those kind of jersey pulls in the box, Gartenmann has no real excuse for letting Gers off the hook.