To be fair, you can be happy about winning an important game and chipping away at Hearts. But that same result has also sparked the familiar moaning about added time and decisions, with late Celtic goals used as proof we can't finish teams off. The truth is a bit messier than the usual camp-versus-camp headlines.

Celebrate the three points — but acknowledge the worry

There’s room for both reactions. Getting the win matters and it keeps pressure on the league, yet a pattern of late goals does make you uneasy. It’s not about inventing conspiracies, it’s about the simple fact that if you don’t kill games off when you have the chances, you leave yourself exposed. That lack of composure can come back to bite in the final weeks.

Ref narratives are nothing new

Fans have always looked for explanations when games go against them. A few weeks ago it was red cards, now it’s stoppage time. People will point at pundits and ask if their commentary nudges officials one way or another — Boyd and Neil McCann were name-checked, for example — but that kind of paranoia runs both ways. Every decision gets replayed, analysed and fitted into whatever story you already believe.

Flip it and you still get a story

Here’s the odd angle no one likes: what if added time sometimes helps the weaker side more than the stronger? Or what if officials genuinely try to balance lost time and it occasionally benefits whoever’s on the end of it? Either way, facts matter more than narrative. We can all spin it to suit our agendas, but it helps to keep a level head. The league is tight; scrutiny will ramp up. Expect every whistle to be picked apart, but don’t let that drown out the simple footballing truth — we need to finish chances, defend properly and make our own luck.

As often on Rangers News Views, the conversation will keep shifting. For now, enjoy the win, worry about the finishing, and brace yourself for the debate to get louder as the run-in approaches.

Written by Mr Mojo Risin: 16 February 2026

Tags: spfl