Celtic have independently released footage of a disputed penalty incident during their dramatic late win against Motherwell amid mounting controversy. Motherwell star Sam Nicholson contested a header with Hoops defender Auston Trusty in the dying minutes of the game at Fir Park, leaving the game tied 2-2.
As both sides contested Anthony Ralston’s long throw, VAR intervened to alert referee John Beaton to the handball, prompting him to award a penalty. Kelechi Iheanacho’s successful conversion from 12 yards sparked jubilation in the away end and set up a final-day title decider for the Premiership crown.
If the match remained tied, Celtic would have played Hearts on Saturday, but needed to win by three goals to clinch the Scottish title.
The incident has sparked intense controversy, with some calling it the “worst VAR call in history”, but Glasgow Giants club media have released a previously unreleased angle from behind of the aerial duel between Trusty and Nicholson.
The controversy continues to rage, with Rangers legend Ally McCoist, who walked on two feet within hours of the flashpoint, taking a firm stand, claiming he had heard growing rumors from England supporters about “cheating” in the title race.
He told talkSPORT: “The vast majority of people I’ve talked to think this was a completely shocking decision, so I don’t really know if there’s any disagreement.
“I would take it a step further. I think the use of VAR has embarrassed Scottish football. You know, it’s completely surprising that the players in control would think that was a clear and obvious mistake.”
“It’s amazing. And you have to keep that in mind for a referee who has beaten Celtic supporters before. He’s beaten Celtic supporters before, and not in a good way, but he made the call in about 15 seconds. It’s really just a car crash. It’s a complete car crash.”
“It’s very unfortunate that people in the south look at it and use the word cheating. I don’t care if you say why, but in my opinion it’s probably the worst damage to the Scottish Premiership title ever. I think whatever happens at the weekend we’re going to be talking about this decision for a long time. It’s very sad.”
But former Hoops manager Neil Lennon took a contrasting stance, highlighting a video showing Motherwell’s Nicholson climbing on top of the trustee.
He told the BBC: “Last night’s match was inconclusive from what we saw on TV. But we have pictures this morning of them playing a round and it’s pretty conclusive that it was a handball.”
“It didn’t take him that long to make the decision. He was there for about 20 seconds. I don’t like VAR, I don’t like handball rules, but it just adds to the drama and tension.”
