Martin O’Neill made little attempt to conceal his anger after Celtic’s defeat to Hibernian F.C., highlighting two pivotal decisions he felt went against his side at Celtic Park.
The first major flashpoint came with Auston Trusty’s dismissal. The defender was initially cautioned following a coming together with Jamie McGrath during a corner. However, referee Mathew MacDermid was advised to review the incident on the pitchside monitor and subsequently upgraded the yellow card to a red for violent conduct. The decision left Celtic reduced to ten men at a crucial stage as they attempted to build momentum.
Moments later, controversy struck again. From another set piece, Liam Scales appeared to be clearly impeded inside the area by Jack Iredale. Scales’ shirt was visibly pulled as the ball dropped dangerously into the box, with the defender ending up on the ground and out of the play. Despite a VAR check, no penalty was awarded.
Speaking to BBC Sport after the match, O’Neill addressed both incidents.
He revealed the referee initially intended only to speak to the players involved in the Trusty clash before VAR intervened and deemed the challenge worthy of a red card. O’Neill suggested the punishment felt severe, particularly as Trusty himself appeared to be held during the tussle.
The Celtic boss also questioned why his side’s penalty appeal was dismissed, pointing to what he believed was a clear shirt pull on Scales inside the box. However, he acknowledged that the outcome would not be altered.
Reduced to ten men, Celtic were forced onto the back foot in the closing stages.
The numerical disadvantage created space that Hibernian ultimately exploited. While O’Neill accepted the result, it was evident he believed the key decisions on the night failed to fall in his team’s favour.
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