Rangers could well have been awarded a penalty in their defeat to Kilmarnock, insists Barry Ferguson.

The former Ibrox skipper says Connor Goldson was pulled back by Stuart Findlay inside the Killie box during the second half of the game.

Willie Collum waved play on, and there was no intervention from VAR.

Derek McInnes' side went on to deservedly win the game 1-0. Killie's team was full of new faces, but it was a familiar one in the form of Brad Lyons who popped up with the winner on 65 minutes.

It was Rangers' first opening-day defeat in the league since 1998 under Dick Advocaat. 

And while Ferguson had no real complaints over the result, he did suggest that his old club should've been given the chance to score from 12 yards.

He told Go Radio: “I’ve seen them given. The problem is you’d see five or six per game, but he has got his arms around Connor Goldson.

“He pulls him, there’s no doubt. There is contact and I have seen them given as penalties.”

Ferguson did also admit that Beale's team selection left him somewhat baffled.

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He added: "There was a couple of surprising selections that I thought would have started. I thought Ryan Jack would have come in beside Raskin to free him up a bit more to anchor the midfielder.

"And obviously Cantwell, he's been a big player no doubt, one of the bright sparks of last season. It was interesting to see he left him out.

"I was surprised he left him out [Cantwell]. He's impressed me since coming up the road from Norwich, the first month it took him a bit of time but to get up to speed but he has been one of Rangers' bright sparks.

"I heard his press conference after it [Beale], the reason why was to bring him on in the last 25 minutes when the game would open up a bit.

"Unfortunately it didn't happen. I get the frustration, I'm frustrated, like every other Rangers fan. I thought it was a really bad goal to lose."