KRIS BOYD has claimed Celtic’s first goal against Rangers shouldn’t have stood.

The Rangers hero  reckons Bobby Madden should’ve halted play with Calvin Bassey down in the box after a collision with team-mate Joe Aribo before Reo Hatate’s opener.

And Boyd even reckons referee Madden considered stopping play before watching the ball go in the net and allowing the goal to stand.

Discussing the controversial opener on Sky Sports, Boyd insisted: “It should’ve been stopped. Celtic have been far the best team, there are no complaints there but that should’ve been stopped.

“I think you can see that right at the end there Bobby Madden actually goes to put his whistle to his mouth then stops.

“For me it’s a head knock in the box and it had to be stopped.”

But Boyd admitted Rangers were well below par in the opening 45 minutes as they went in three goals down at the break after a Hatate double and a third from Liel Abada.

For the former Ibrox striker things could have been even worse as he conceded it could’ve been five or six for Celtic in the first half.

He added: “But Rangers have been absolutely abysmal this first half, Celtic deserve…it’s 3-0, it could quite easily be five or six.”