JAMES FOWLER reckons whistler Bobby Madden made the wrong call to send off striker Derek Lyle as Rangers ran riot at Palmerston.

The Light Blues clinched their eighth successive win this season with a 5-1 triumph as Andy Halliday, Jason Holt and Barrie McKay netted and Martyn Waghorn hit two penalties in a comfortable win for the Gers.

Queens spurned an opportunity to pull themselves level just before the break and their chances of a comeback were ended when Lyle saw red for a coming together with Rob Kiernan.

There appeared to only be minimal contact between the players but the Doonhamers striker was sent off for an apparent head butt just minutes into the second half.

And Dumfries boss Fowler reckons the controversial call was a costly one for his side as they lost their unbeaten start to the Championship campaign.

He said: "It was a difficult afternoon for us in terms of the scoreline.

“We had a great chance before half time to make it 1-1 and with the sending off happening so early in the second half it changes everything.

“Rangers were obviously confident after that. It's tough enough against them with eleven, so to go down to ten is very difficult.

“But the boys gave their all. It was a tough afternoon, but we move on.

"It was the fourth official who gave it. If it was aggressive behaviour with the two players involved with Derek standing his ground when a player walks towards him, then I don't know...you'd maybe need to ask the fourth official about that because he was the one that gave the decision.

"I think sometimes that one person could be more aggressive than the other, but when Derek is standing his ground and then the heads come together - maybe Derek gestured towards him, but it was head to head originally so I would have thought if he had given two yellows then I don't think either player would have had a complaint."