Caitlin Hayes and Fran Alonso might find themselves in bother with the Scottish FA’s Compliance Officer after both called out referee Gary Hanvidge (that’s with an ‘A’, Sandman) who changed his mind after deciding their was no reason at all to disallow Caitlin Hayes’ first half header that would have put Celtic in the driving seat to win the SWPL1 title this season. Hanvidge was correct the first time, there was no foul on any of theRangers players, especially their diving goalkeeper and we’ll show you photographs that show that not one single player from theRangers was claiming for a foul.
The Celtic Star had a photographer at the match and at half-time as he was changing ends I went down to the trackside of the Excelsior Stadium to look at the still-shots of the disallowed Celtic goal, and we must have looked at a hundred frames to try to spot any infringement. We tried very hard but could find nothing.
Sitting in the middle of the stand I certainly could see nothing wrong with the goal and hardened by refereeing decisions at Celtic goals I immediately looked to the referee when Caitlin Hayes scored and can assure you that HE GAVE THE GOAL! There were Celtic celebrations on the pitch and in the stand for several seconds before Hanvidge (with an ‘A’) changed his mind and gave theRangers a free-kick for nothing at all. And you can’t blame theRangers players for claiming for a foul because they didn’t!
It looks like their goalkeeper Vic Esson lost the flight of the ball and just dived as if she had been pushed by Tash Flint but she certainly was not. And the nearest Celtic player to her is Tash Flint and having looked at her movement second by second throughout the incident she did NOT make any contact with Vic Esson whatsoever.
Here’s what theRangers’ own official twitter account said about the disallowed goal…
“Caitlin Hayes finds the back of the net following the corner delivery from Jacynta, but the referee spotted a foul on Vic Esson in the build-up.”
28′ Caitlin Hayes finds the back of the net following the corner delivery from Jacynta, but the referee spotted a foul on Vic Esson in the build-up.
It remains level at Excelsior Stadium.
Celtic 0-0 Rangers
— Rangers Women (@RangersWFC) May 4, 2023
Ignore the rubbish being said by the co-commentor, watch this again and just look at their goalkeeper and theRangers players, then look at our photographs, there’s no-one complaining to the referee is there?
🍀 “It’s definitely a foul from Flint on Esson”
Celtic have the ball in the net but it’s ruled out for a foul on the goalkeeper! Watch the match now live on Sky 📺 pic.twitter.com/tU9ukpidfU
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) May 4, 2023
“I’ll keep it simple. I don’t think it’s a free kick,” Caitlin Hayes said afterwards to Sky Sports and the next comments are the ones that could interest the Scottish FA’s Compliance Officer. “Sometimes you have to play the opposition and the refs in this league. At the end of the day I’ve seen it back and I don’t know where the free kick is coming from.
“He clearly has other ideas and that’s why he disallowed the goal. There was no explanation as usual with Scottish referees, without sounding bitter. But after speaking to the coaching staff that’s what the initial reaction was that it was on Tasha for the free kick.
“It’s so tight at the top and it’s fine margins and hopefully that one doesn’t come back to bite us.”
🗣️ “Sometimes you’ve got to play the opposition and the refs in this league”
Caitlin Hayes is perplexed at the decision not to allow Celtic’s first-half goal ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/RBaUYslKsY
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) May 4, 2023
Fran Alonso was asked to sum up his feelings on Sky Sports after the controversial 1-0 defeat at home to theRangers. We scored a totally legal goal in the first half, there was nothing absolutely nothing wrong with it, it is very frustrating.
“We are fighting for our lives, it is in our hands to win the league and then a decision that is absolutely shocking so I’m really frustrated,” a clearly annoyed Fran Alonso said. “It was a fifty-fifty game, it could go either way. We managed to score and it is very difficult against them, then it got disallowed for absolutely no reason, so it is very frustrating.
“Then in the second half we try tried our best, we controlled the game, all the play was in their half but the one action that they got, they have a lot of quality and they punished us. We had so many chances but we couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net so congratulations to the them but tonight one person denied us from at least getting something from the game. We were the better team,” Alonso believes.
Asked about what the referee said to him on the disallowed goal that influenced the game in a massive way the Celtic manager revealed that there were no conversations with the referee after the match.
“I didn’t talk to him at all. I saw the action, there is absolutely nothing wrong and no-one knows why, the Fourth Official apparently said to someone that it was the number 26, somebody else said it was number 16, I don’t know, it is a question for him but it cannot happen. We are fighting for the league, it was a totally legal goal. We’d go in at half time at 1-0 and totally in control but it was disallowed for no reason and it is very frustrating.
“It’s now no long in our hands, we still have a chance. I’m proud of the Ghirls, we fought, we tried our very best but it couldn’t be. It’ a very damaging result but we are still second on goall difference. Now the problem is that we are depending on other results.
“We need to make sure that we win on Sunday (away to Partick Thistle), then we have a game at Celtic Park against Glasgow City and if we win that game we will be two points behind (assuming City win at the weekend) and then they have to play the last game of the season against (the)Rangers and they will be fighting for Champions League so of course it is still possible, the frustrating thing is that it is not in our hands anymore and I thought that the Ghirls served more.
🗣️ “Disallowed for no reason, very frustrating!”
Fran Alonso disagrees with the decision to disallow Celtic’s goal and believes they deserved more ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/mbYewL0ii3
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) May 4, 2023
It’s worth noting that from theRangers point of view to win the league they have to win all their games, hope that Celtic beat Glasgow City at Celtic Park next Thursday night And overturn the FIVE goal goal difference advantage in the last four games.
Glasgow City know that if they win three of the final four games they will win the league. If they win at Celtic Park the should be that. However if they lose to Celtic they will probably have to beat theRangers to win the league. If that games end as a draw – or a win for theRangers (assuming it’s not enough to catch Celtic on goal difference) then that could get theRangers into the Champions League and give Celtic the title.
All three sides will be aware of this and this weekend will see them all going flat out to improve their gol differences against their title rivals.
All three play on Sunday afternoon. Celtic are away to Partick Thistle (kick-off is 12.10pm), theRangers kick-off at 1pm away to Hibs while Glasgow City are at home to Hearts with that one starting at 4.10pm. Goals and as many as possible will be the order of the day for all three sides. Celtic should set a very high target against Partick Thistle.
Worst decision of all time, even in Scotland.