SFA’s Key Match Incident report delivers unanimous verdict on Yang’s penalty | OneFootball

No drama with SFA’s Key Match Incident report regarding Axton Oxborough’s challenge on Yang as the panel delivered a unanimous verdict…

Arne Engels of Celtic scores a penalty during the match between Celtic and Motherwell at Celtic Park, on 26th December 2024. (Picture by Mark Runnacles)

Celtic comfortably dispatched Motherwell on Thursday afternoon 4-0, but unsurprisingly, like so often this season, Stuart Kettlewell made tiresome excuses post-match deflecting away from his side being well beaten which included taking a swipe at referee Ross Hardie for awarding a penalty to the Hoops on the stroke of half-time.

Penalty was correctly awarded

When Celtic winger Yang Hyun-jun got to the ball in front of Motherwell keeper Aston Oxborough, the 26 year-old English shotstopper quite clearly made contact with the attacker giving Hardie no option but to point to the spot.

Laughably, Kettlewell in an interview with Sky Sports yesterday morning insisted he was “flabbergasted,” by the decision and according to the Steelman boss it was the “softest of all penalties.”

This is indeed the same Motherwell manager who reckoned there was nothing to see following Liam Gordon’s disgraceful ‘tackle’ on Adam Idah earlier this season at Fir Park.

Dermot Gallacher: “Has to be a penalty”

On Sky Sports regular sequel ‘Ref Watch,’ where former English Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher analyses the key incidents of matches in England and the Scottish Premiership, Gallagher believed it, “has to be a penalty.”

SFA’s very own ‘Key Match Incident’ panel saw it the same way. In their notes on the incident to which it was a unanimous 5:0 agreement with whistler Ross Hardie, they explained: “The panel unanimously agreed that the onfield decision was supportable. The panel highlighted that this was a decision for VAR to get involved as it could not be deemed a clear and obvious error.”

Two Daizen Maeda incidents

However, bizarrely there was no mention of two penalty incident involving Daizen Maeda in the first or second half — firstly for a clear boot in the head, and then a push in the back from Dan Casey that would be given as a foul anywhere else on the pitch.

Perhaps Celtic should write a strongly worded statement, wheel Michael Nicholson out in front of the cameras or demand Ian Maxwell makes a comment on the incidents. All three would suffice.

Despite there being five errors in KMI’s previous report, there were none for the full Boxing Day Scottish Premiership fixture card. The panel reviewed eight incidents across the six games with seven of the eight calls receiving a 5:0 majority in favour of the onfield decision and one where it was 4:1.

People all over Europe laugh at theRangers

26th December 2024 Scottish Premiership Football, St Mirren versus Rangers Jack Butland of theRangers concedes a penalty after fouling Greg Kiltie of St Mirren and a VAR check. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (Action Plus)

Even the St Mirren penalty awarded against theRangers was deemed to be the correct decision despite people all over Europe laughing their heads off about the goalkeeper staying on the park after that rugby tackle by Jack Butland.

Conor Spence

Celtic in the Thirties by Celtic Historian Matt Corr is published in two volumes by Celtic Star Books.  ORDER NOW WHILE STOCKS LAST!

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