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Penalty ruled wrong
Celtic’s match-winning late penalty at Fir Park against Motherwell was ruled the wrong call by the Scottish FA’s key match incident (KMI) panel, after VAR Andrew Dallas intervened and advised referee John Beaton to look at the screen.
The incident came when Celtic were awarded a spot-kick deep into stoppage time while the score was 2-2, and Kelechi Iheanacho scored to secure a 3-2 win that changed the title outlook for the final day.
The KMI panel confirmed the referee was correct with his initial decision not to award a penalty and that the VAR intervention outcome was incorrect, leaving Hearts even more frustrated.
STV News reported that Beaton took less than 20 seconds to decide it was a penalty after looking at replays, and that the ball was launched into the box with Motherwell attacker Sam Nicholson adjudged to have handled as he challenged for the ball with Auston Trusty.
After the decision, Celtic manager Martin O’Neill said it “looks as if it’s a pretty clear cut,” adding, “he’s given it for the handball, and also an elbow on top of that there as well.”
Outrage and investigations
Hearts boss Derek McInnes condemned the penalty call as “disgusting,” while former England striker Gary Lineker said it “might be the worst VAR decision I’ve seen”.
The backlash also included police protection for John Beaton after his personal details were leaked online last week, as multiple outlets described the fallout from the decision.
The Scottish Senior Football Referees Association condemned “entirely disproportionate” scrutiny on match officials and said “No referee should be subjected to this abuse, intimidation, threats or the leaking of private information simply for carrying out their duties.”
The Scottish Professional Football League opened a disciplinary investigation into the Celtic-Hearts title decider after a pitch invasion when Callum Osmand scored to make it 3-1 to Celtic deep into stoppage time, with police investigations ongoing to establish if there was any criminality.
ESPN also noted that the KMI panel said the referee was correct with his initial decision not to award a penalty and that the VAR intervention outcome was incorrect, and it reiterated that Hearts finished two points behind Celtic with the calls having “a huge bearing on the title race.”
Title race consequences
The KMI panel’s ruling came after a season finale shaped by two contentious decisions involving Hearts, including another call where Steven McLean stuck by his initial decision not to award the Jambos a spot-kick away to Motherwell while the match was level at 1-1.
In that earlier incident, VAR Greg Aitken indicated that Alexandros Kyziridis had been tripped by Tawanda Maswanhise, and ESPN said Hearts finished two points behind Celtic with “these two calls ultimately having had a huge bearing on the title race.”
STV News said Celtic’s 3-2 win at Fir Park enabled them to take it to a final day title-decider against Hearts, which saw them clinch the title after a 3-1 win at Celtic Park.
The Independent reported that the SPFL confirmed on Friday that the Celtic-Hearts clash is one of five matches from the closing days of the season being investigated under SPFL Rules H36 and H37, alongside matches between Inverness and Hamilton, Motherwell and Celtic, Hamilton and Clyde, and Stenhousemuir and Alloa.
The SPFL statement also said there is “a continuing need for all stakeholders to work together to address the challenges of unacceptable conduct at matches, including pitch encroachments and pyrotechnic use,” as the governing body awaited next steps in the Scottish Government’s consultation on football banning orders.
