VAR controversy has erupted in Scottish football after a controversial last-minute decision kept Celtic’s Premiership title hopes alive. Martin O’Neill’s side trailed 2-2 against Motherwell in Saturday’s title decider and looked destined for a three-goal victory over leaders Hearts, who dispatched Falkirk 3-0 in their penultimate game.
However, late in stoppage time, VAR official Andrew Dallas called referee John Beaton to the pitchside monitor after Motherwell’s Sam Nicholson called for a high ball. Replays showed the ball hitting Nicholson in the head rather than his raised hand, but Beaton awarded the spot-kick, which Kelechi Iheanacho converted for a 3-2 win. As a result, instead of requiring a three-goal win against the Jambos, a small win will be enough for Celtic to claim their 56th domestic league crown. The decision sparked outrage, with Hearts manager Derek McInnes calling it “terrible”.
