Fixture change nothing to do with Rangers - Stuart McCall

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Livingston's Myles Hippolyte scored from a free-kick to give the hosts the leadImage source, SNS
Image caption,

Livingston's Myles Hippolyte scored from a free-kick to give the hosts the lead

Rangers boss Stuart McCall said his club are an innocent party in the fixtures row after Hibernian and Hearts criticised the Scottish Professional Football League.

Hearts will host Rangers on 3 May, with Hibs, Queen of the South and Falkirk all playing a day earlier.

The Edinburgh clubs issued statements suggesting "sporting integrity" was being compromised.

"I'd probably be saying the same," McCall told BBC Scotland. "But it's nothing to do with us.

"We've not asked for the game to be played on Sunday. We'll be happy to play it at 3pm on a Saturday like everyone else.

"But if it is going to be on a Sunday and it can't be changed now because of TV then maybe the other teams can change as well."

McCall's side came from behind to draw 1-1 with Livingston, with Marius Zaliukas cancelling out Miles Hippolyte's opener, and he felt it was a point gained rather than two dropped.

"I think a point was what both sides deserved," he said.

"It was a game that I fully expected and I knew it would be as tough as it was.

"Hibs and Queen of the South are still got to come here and I'm sure they'll find it as difficult as we did tonight."

Image source, SNS
Image caption,

Livingston manager Mark Burchill felt his side should have won the game

However, Livingston boss Mark Burchill was angry at how quickly his side, who are two points adrift of Alloa Athletic at the bottom, conceded after breaking the deadlock.

After being asked if he was happy with a point, he said: "Not all all. To lose a goal, a poor, poor, poor defensive goal right after we score, no I'm not happy with that at all.

"Don't get me wrong, a point's good in the grand scheme of things, but I think if we hold on for two, three, five minutes, Rangers run out of ideas.

"I don't think they caused us an awful lot of problems tonight, I thought we should have won.

"We didn't play to our best and we matched Rangers. We more than matched them.

"We want to stay in this division and I'm disappointed because it was an opportunity to get three points tonight.

"In the grand scheme of things that's a decent result."

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