John Hartson aghast at reaction after Celtic penalty claim against Rangers defender Connor Goldson
John Hartson still can’t believe that Celtic didn’t get a penalty at Rangers and that people hold the view that they shouldn’t have.
Connor Goldson shielded his face as Carl Starfelt’s wayward shot came at him from close range and the visitors appealed at Ibrox on Monday (2 January), but referee John Beaton was unmoved.
Willie Collum looked at it as the VAR but didn’t call for Beaton to review his decision on the monitor, which has since been explained by former FIFA referee Stuart Dougal, but former Bhoys striker Hartson remains outraged.
Writing on his personal Twitter account on Tuesday (3 January) he said: “They still think it’s no penalty! Unbelievable.”
Contentious
In a game as high profile, and with stakes as high, as the Old Firm derby it is no surprise that a decision like this one would get a lot of focus.
It was a judgment call for Beaton, and given the IFAB laws permit players to protect their face as a natural reaction [Twitter] he appears to have got this one right on balance.
That won’t make it any easier for Hartson to accept, and fans of any team who didn’t get that decision would probably stew over it for a couple of days.
But in many ways the Hoops were lucky to come away from Ibrox with a point as it was, after Daizen Maeda’s early opener from an Alfredo Morelos error was cancelled out by a second half comeback.
Fashion Sakala was at the heart of the Rangers revival, supported by Ryan Kent, and had Morelos taken a couple of golden first-half opportunities the game might have been out of sight by the hour mark.
As it was a one-goal lead wasn’t enough, and a loose ball fell to Kyogo to equalise late on in a game where Beale’s side had arguably dominated the derby for the first time in the league since he left a year ago.
In other Rangers news, Ally McCoist was delighted by what one “fantastic” Gers player did at Ibrox before he was let down by his teammate.