Former FIFA referee Mark Halsey has claimed that Celtic should have had a penalty in the 1-0 defeat to Ross County in Dingwall last night. Speaking to This is Futbol, the former Premier League referee said that there would have been no complaints from the Staggies if the referee had pointed to the spot.
Callum McGregor’s strike hit Watson on the arm in an arguably unnatural position but David Munro waved play on. Halsey reckons that the penalty should have been given.
“What we’ve got to look at was that deliberate act by the Ross County defender? Was that a deliberate act was that a deliberate movement of the arm towards a ball? Was his arm in an unnatural position?
“I think some will say yes, and some will say no. And the on-field referee hasn’t given it, wherever his view was blocked, I think had it been given, I don’t think there’d have been too many complaints. Because his arm was out, wasn’t it?
“I mean, it all depends, you know, was it natural or unnatural? It’s one of those, Celtic will feel they should have been given a penalty, Ross County will be over the moon that wasn’t given, then that’d be the same for the fans of both sides. So I don’t think there have been any complaints had it been given.”
Celtic were unimaginative and were found totally sleeping as White rose to head late in the second half. Ryan Christie and Odsonne Edouard should have scored but the pair fluffed their lines at point blank range.
Moi Elyounoussi forced Ross Laidlaw into a smart save in injury time but it wasn’t enough to seal a point. The defeat now leaves Rangers seven points away from winning the league, the first possible opportunity, providing they win their next two games and so do we – is at Celtic Park.
Celtic have no one to blame but themselves, this season has promised so much and delivered almost nothing. A penalty shoot-out win to seal a Quadruple Treble was a fantastic achievement but papered over the cracks with regards to the seismic regression.
So, just drop two points instead of three. Great!