McLeish: 'Better team lost'

Pierre van Hooijdonk scored twice for Feyenoord

Rangers boss Alex McLeish insisted that his side were unlucky not to be in the quarter-finals of the Uefa Cup after defeat by Feyenoord.

And he suggested that former Celtic striker Pierre van Hooijdonk had been too cute for German referee Herbert Fandel.

Van Hooijdonk scored twice from free kicks, the second of which he won following an innocuous challenge by defender Scott Wilson, in the Dutch side's 3-2 victory.

McLeish told BBC Scotland: "We knew Van Hooijdonk was dangerous and he manipulates things to get free kicks.

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"He was too cute for the referee tonight, but I felt the better team lost.

"I felt there were wee things that went against us, but the referee calls it and I thought we were unlucky tonight.

"I don't think we will have a better chance of going away from home in Europe and qualifying for the next round.

"We had chances and we didn't take them.

"The players know they should be through. They are devastated in the dressing-room."

Neil McCann had put Rangers into an early lead before Van Hooijdonk struck.

Just as Rangers gained the ascendancy after Patrick Paauwe was sent off conceding the penalty converted by Barry Ferguson to pull Rangers back to 3-2, McCann got himself ordered off.

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"He's had an earlier booking and he said something to the referee that he didn't like and it's something we have to deal with internally," said McLeish.

Skipper Ferguson added: "We are extremely disappointed as we played really well, but we gave away two sloppy free-kicks.

"At half-time we went in and the gaffer said that the game was there for the winning and I felt that and the team felt that as well, but it wasn't to be.

"We went attacking and I thought we were the better team, but we can be proud of the way we play, although it would be better if we were through."

Feyenoord coach Bert van Marwijk said: "I thought we were there at 3-1, but when the sending-off happened I was very nervous because I knew it could go wrong."