The Scottish FA are reportedly supporting referee John Beaton’s controversial decision to award Celtic a late penalty against Motherwell following a VAR review at Fir Park.
The flashpoint came when Motherwell winger Sam Nicholson challenged for Anthony Ralston’s long throw into the penalty area, with the ball appearing to strike either his hand or upper arm at close range.
After being advised to review the incident on the pitchside monitor by Andrew Dallas on VAR, Beaton pointed to the spot.
The call has sparked debate, with several pundits like Kris Boyd arguing there was no definitive evidence the ball hit Nicholson’s hand.
Others questioned whether the incident should qualify as handball at all, insisting the player’s arm was in a natural position and not making his body unnaturally bigger.
The decision drew raging reactions from across the Premiership. Hearts manager Derek McInnes branded the award “disgusting” after his side’s title hopes were impacted, while Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou also voiced frustration post-match at Fir Park.
However, Martin O’Neill felt the officials had reached the correct conclusion. “We got a penalty which looks as if it’s pretty clear cut,” he told Sky Sports. “Has he given it for the handball? There was an elbow on top of that too.
“The lads have a little monitor. It’s very small. I can’t really see it. I need another pair of glasses to see it. The lads thought it was a handball, an elbow as well too. I felt we had a penalty in the first half but VAR cleared that one.”
According to reports from The Telegraph, the Scottish FA believe Beaton made the right call after reviewing the incident internally.
Head of refereeing Willie Collum is not expected to publicly address the controversy until next week’s VAR Review show, although it is understood he is backing the on-field decision behind the scenes.
Kelechi Iheanacho converted the resulting penalty to hand Celtic a crucial 3-2 victory, leaving them just one point behind Hearts ahead of Saturday’s title-decider between the sides.
Conor Spence
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