Manager disappointed with outcome of the game | OneFootball

Celtic fell to only their second domestic defeat of the season against a Hibernian side who took a 2-0 first-half lead into the break, and, despite a Daizen Maeda goal and an onslaught on the home goal as the game progressed, they held on for the win.

Maeda had the ball in the net for a second time in what was given as an equaliser by the on-field officials before VAR had adjudged the ball to be over the line before Alistair Johnston got his cross in – the call being made by a view from the 18-yard line!

Fine lines and fine margins can win and lose games, which, is bit easier to stomach if the game has fine apparatus to facilitate such decisions.

Brendan Rodgers said after the game: “We’re clearly disappointed with the result. In the first half we got off to a really poor start in the game.

“That gives them an up in the game, and gets the crowd behind the team. We were a little bit rusty I felt in our decision-making with the ball.

“And then, obviously we conceded a really poor second goal right on half-time, so that was a disappointment,

“In the second half we were excellent in the game, much more in control, threatening Hibs’ goal much more, didn’t have too many worries, and obviously get the goal with plenty of time.

“And then, obviously, we get the goal disallowed, which I’m really disappointed with considering the linesman, who had probably the best view in the stadium.

“And then you mix that with actually not having the proper VAR equipment to tell, because there’s nothing on the goal-line, it’s a camera from the 18-yard line.

“So to have the linesman overruled was disappointing because we get to 2-2 at that time of the game and there’s still a good time for us to finish off and win the game.

“So that killed the momentum a little bit.”

The manager added: “We had enough pressure in the second half, we got into some really good areas, we get the goal that gives you that feeling in the game, and then we continued with that.

“A few times around the edge of the box we could have been a little bit cleaner, but overall, that was the goal and I just feel that it was a guess on whether it was in or out.

“Because, for me, certainly at this moment in time, I haven’t seen any conclusive evidence that the ball was definitely out.”

Fixtures

Hibernian Vs. Celtic - Sat, Feb 22nd 2025, 12:30