Celtic have been left frustrated after Scottish FA head of referees Willie Collum admitted the Hoops should have been awarded a penalty in their recent 2-1 defeat to Hibernian at Parkhead.
The result saw David Gray’s side take all three points, handing Hearts the opportunity to extend their lead in the title race. However, much of the post-match discussion has centred around a controversial moment that occurred with the score level.
The incident came shortly after Auston Trusty had been sent off for an off-the-ball clash with Jamie McGrath. With Celtic reduced to ten men and pushing for control of the game at 1-1, Liam Scales appeared to be pulled back inside the box from a corner.
Despite strong appeals from the Celtic players, no penalty was awarded at the time.
Earlier in the match, Felix Passlack had given Hibs the lead before Benjamin Nygren equalised just before half-time. With the game finely balanced, Kai Andrews would later strike the winner to secure a crucial victory for the visitors.
In the days following the match, Collum has now confirmed that the decision not to award a penalty was incorrect and should have resulted in an on-field review.
“So, the VAR here describes the action of the holding and about proximity, about the area the ball is going into.
“And for us, this should be a penalty kick. This should be an on-field review for a penalty.”
He continued:
“There’s too much holding here. There’s too much impact for us.
“This shows the clear holding, the clear impact; it’s prolonged there for a bit.
“Should be a penalty kick.”
Collum also expressed concern over how the VAR team handled the situation, particularly the lack of a clear explanation behind their final decision.
It was highlighted during the review that there initially appeared to be a strong case for awarding a penalty before officials ultimately decided against recommending a pitchside check.
“If they had gone to on-field review after what they’d said, the VAR team, it would have been an excellent example because of the clear criteria used.
“But we need criteria.
“We’ve told the VAR teams now, and the on-field referee, ‘not enough’ is not a good description.
“They need to explain why we don’t think that is a penalty.”
The admission is unlikely to ease Celtic’s frustration, with the decision coming at a crucial stage of the match and potentially altering the outcome.
With the Premiership title race finely balanced, moments such as these could prove decisive in the closing weeks of the season.
