Celtic hero Ryan Christie has admitted that he was left stunned by the decision not to award Scotland a penalty against Austria on Thursday night.
With the Scots 1-0 down in their opening World Cup qualifier, Christie was ridiculously hauled to the deck by Stefan Ilsanker. It looked a stonewall penalty, and a big chance for Scotland to get back into the game.
In the end it wasn’t given. Granted, Scotland got some justice in the end when they secured a 2-2 draw thanks to goals from Grant Hanley and John McGinn.
But what was just as surprising as the decision not to give Scotland a penalty was how little Christie protested. He’s explained why he felt he couldn’t say much after a previous booking in the first half.
As quoted by the Glasgow Times, Christie said: “I just went to the floor and I was just waiting for the referee to blow his whistle. I couldn’t believe it and after my booking in the first half I didn’t really feel I could open my mouth again.
“I’ll take a bit of the blame because it was a silly yellow card but it wouldn’t come as much of a shock if you played in Scotland. I was booked for asking for a foul, nothing else.
“If there were crowds he might have given it, but it was a definite penalty. He hasn’t gone to play the ball either and it was probably a red card as well. It is frustrating when you play at home without the crowds and you don’t really get those wee things. Things didn’t go our way.”
Ryan Christie right to feel aggrieved; Scotland vs Austria ref was inconsistent all night
Spanish referee Carlos del Cerro Grande had an absolute shocker at Hampden in truth. It wasn’t just the Christie penalty call he got wrong either – it was a host of mistakes as he appeared far too card-happy.
Scotland ended the match with four yellow cards. Austria with three. Two of Scotland’s were simply due to protesting a decision in a tame manner. Christie was one of those, and any real protest likely would’ve seen him struck with a second booking too.
The referee appeared out to antagonise. Even small aspects such as the way he dramatically gestured “no penalty” to Christie appeared rather provocative. You can see why Scotland players and supporters were frustrated with him.
From a Celtic perspective, the game reaped some positives. Jack Hendry of course being the main one with a solid display on his international return. Callum McGregor also injected some life into the game as he was largely given a much-needed rest, whilst Christie looked lively too.
Scotland’s next match comes tomorrow when they take the trip to Israel. So long as we get through the match with no key injuries, that will be considered a success for many Celtic supporters.
And Christie will likely be central to any quest for Scotland’s first three points of the group on Sunday. Here’s hoping he can deliver.
In other news, a report has outlined why Nicky Butt has left Man Utd amid the Celtic speculation.
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