RANGERS striker Jon Daly today accused Hearts players of conning referee Craig Thomson in their top-of-the-table clash at Tynecastle.

Thomson sent off Gers midfielder Stevie Smith in the first half of the game for a challenge on right-back Callum Paterson, with Robbie Neilson's side going on to defeat their 10-man rivals 2-0 to stretch their lead at the top of the SPFL Championship to nine points.

The match official also dished out nine yellow cards - and Daly reckons the Hearts players were deliberately trying to get their opponents sent off.

He said: "A red card decision didn't help us on Saturday. But I didn't think Smudger (Smith) let us down. I thought he was unfortunate. He's gone to win the ball and he's slightly late. In this day and age you seem to get red cards for tackles like that.

"For me, I don't think their reaction helps the situation, but that seems to be the way football is. It's changed an awful lot since I started playing. That seems to be coming in a lot more into the game, players trying to get people booked and sent off. I don't think it's the right thing to be doing."

Daly added: "I think it's a man's game and when a player gets hit and he goes down screaming like he's been shot by a sniper I don't think it really helps.

"Obviously the referee hears a scream and sees the reaction of a player rolling on the floor and he thinks he has been seriously hurt.

"You have to cut the referee a bit of slack because, if he sees that, he thinks it's a serious injury. You have to ask questions of the players if they are trying to con the ref or not. It seems football is changing and probably, in my opinion, not for the better."

Meanwhile, Daly has called on the Rangers players to ease the pressure on McCoist by rediscovering their form and getting back to winning ways.

The travelling support turned on the Light Blues legend en masse at the end of the 2-0 defeat.

But Daly, who was given the nod to start the game ahead of Kris Boyd, reckons the players have to shoulder the responsibility for their poor recent form.

He said: "Once we go out on the park we need to provide performances and wins. We need to start doing that for the manager.

"All the boys really like the manager and the coaching staff. You have to look close to home as players and ask ourselves if we are we doing enough to help him out when we go out there."

Meanwhile, Daly has questioned whether Hearts can maintain their lead at the top - but urged his team-mates to focus on their own challenge.

He said: "They will have to do well to keep it going. It's not easy because once you're up there teams are going to come and raise their game to try to be the first team to beat you.

"But that's something we can't really concentrate on. It's not something we can look at. We have to concentrate on ourselves.

"It's out of our hands at the moment and it's Hearts' to throw away at the moment. We need to concentrate on our own results and hopefully close that gap pretty soon."