Handling it well: Hearts heavy after Celtic penalty and now wary of Paradise loss

The Guardian Sport1h ago6 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

Celtic's controversial penalty decision against Motherwell has sparked outrage, with claims of referee error. Hearts, now wary of their upcoming match against Celtic, need to avoid defeat to secure the title.

Key points

Celtic awarded a controversial penalty against Motherwell
Referee John Beaton's decision sparked outrage
Hearts need to avoid defeat at Celtic Park to secure the title
Derek McInnes criticized the penalty decision as poor
Martin O'Neill defended the penalty call as a clear handball

Mentioned in this story

Derek McInnesMartin O'Neill

CelticHearts

ONE NORMAL DAY. WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

Having viewed the incident that led to Celtic being awarded a spot-kick against Motherwell more often than we’ve put on socks, Football Daily still can’t understand how referee John Beaton arrived at his decision. Of course we’ve seen all the freeze-frame stills on Social Media Disgrace that suggest the ball probably did hit Sam Nicholson’s forehead-adjacent paw, but even then it doesn’t automatically follow that it was a foul. The power and trajectory with which the ball was sent back out over the touchline was clearly generated by the Motherwell defender’s big slab-head and not some overarm serve borrowed from the volleyball court. More crucially, what has also become abundantly clear in the ensuing frenzy of hysterical debate over whether or not Nicholson handled the ball, is that in initially declining to award Celtic a penalty the referee definitively did not make a clear-and-obvious error. It was not until he was sent to his screen by the curtain-twitchers in McStockley Park that Beaton messed up, by electing to re-referee an incident he’d already adjudicated in a perfectly satisfactory manner.

So controversial even English grandees such as Gary Lineker and Jeff Stelling couldn’t haud their wheesht, Beaton’s decision has been labelled in some quarters as the most controversial in Scottish Fitba history. While Football Daily would argue it isn’t even in the top three most controversial calls we’ve seen made in Celtic’s favour since last Friday, the ramifications could obviously be seismic in terms of the title race. “A horrendous decision that has once again embarrassed Scottish football,” thundered Ally McCoist on TalkSport. “I’m just trying to think logically how he would make that decision. But equally, on VAR guys, are we trying to tell each other that is a clear-and-obvious error? Come on! And by the way, exactly on that spot on Saturday night, Hearts should have been given a penalty.”

Having seen off Falkirk at Tynecastle’s final match of the season in just enough time to watch the Fir Park fiasco unfold, league leaders Hearts ended what might have been an evening of celebration on a massive downer. “When you heard Celtic had a 96th-minute penalty going to VAR, you just assume they get it,” seethed their head coach Derek McInnes. “It’s disgusting. We’re up against it, we’re up against everybody. I don’t think it’s a penalty. It’s so poor and it looks as though [Celtic] have been given it. They have been very fortunate.” Unsurprisingly, his view was not shared by Celtic head coach Martin O’Neill, who was not prepared to just concede his side had got extremely lucky. “I have seen it back very, very briefly … it’s a handball,” said the man who has previously been extremely vocal in his criticism of VAR for being “debilitating” and an “insult” to referees’ judgement. Hearts now need to avoid defeat at Celtic Park on Saturday to seize the title in a showdown for the ages. It’s arguably the biggest Scottish game in a generation and recent history suggests the main post-match talking points will be about everything but the Fitba.

Q&A

What was the controversial penalty decision involving Celtic and Motherwell?

Celtic was awarded a penalty against Motherwell after a handball incident involving Sam Nicholson, which many believe was incorrectly adjudicated by referee John Beaton.

How did Hearts' coach react to the penalty decision?

Hearts' coach Derek McInnes expressed his frustration, calling the decision 'disgusting' and claiming that it was not a penalty.

What are the implications of the penalty decision for Hearts?

The penalty decision has significant implications for Hearts, as they must avoid defeat against Celtic to secure the league title in their upcoming match.

What did Celtic's coach say about the penalty incident?

Celtic's coach Martin O’Neill stated that he believes the handball was clear and criticized VAR for undermining referees' judgment.