Rangers manager Walter Smith branded the red card issued to Madjid Bougherra during Rangers' 2-1 win over Aberdeen as "incredible".

But the Ibrox boss also expressed his disappointment with the part Kyle Lafferty had to play in Charlie Mulgrew's dismissal earlier in the game after a Richard Foster own-goal and a header from Kenny Miller lifted Rangers back top the top of the table, despite Michael Paton pulling a goal back for the Dons.

Mulgrew saw red after just 18 minutes for an alleged headbutt on Lafferty, which the Northern Ireland international appeared to make the most of, while Bougherra followed the Dons player down the tunnel for a challenge on goalkeeper Jamie Langfield shortly before half-time.

Smith said: "I don't think there was any great contact made there at all and obviously we will have to have words with Kyle.

"The second ordering off was incredible. The linesman has stated to me that the player deliberately kicked the goalkeeper in the head, which I found absolutely incredible when I saw it [again] and even [when I saw it] from the stand.

"For him to make that kind of assumption is incredible. We've lost a player for the majority of the game for a circumstance which is obviously not the case."