Scottish former association football referee Willie Collum outlines the reasons John Beaton was correct to give Celtic a penalty in their win over Kilmarnock.

Willie Collum has backed referee John Beaton’s decision to award Celtic a late penalty in their 2-1 victory over Kilmarnock.

The match was decided when debutant Kelechi Iheanacho scored from the spot in the 96th minute, after VAR ruled that Lewis Mayo had handled the ball inside the area. Initially, Beaton waved away Celtic’s appeals, but VAR intervened, prompting him to overturn his original call—a move Collum insists was correct.

Speaking on the Scottish Football Association’s YouTube channel, where he and Gordon Duncan reviewed several controversial refereeing moments, Collum acknowledged that the incident was “debatable” but ultimately felt the decision aligned with the rules.

> “It’s definitely a contentious call,” Collum said. “The key factor for VAR here is the position of the arm. If the shot had gone straight on and struck Lewis Mayo, it’s absolutely a penalty. Even with the deflection involved, under the laws of the game, awarding the penalty can still be justified.”