Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes has decided to step back in time seven months to complain about an incident in a match against Celtic, despite saying at the time he didn’t want to dwell on it.
Kilmarnock were aggrieved about a decision not to award them a penalty in the Scottish League Cup semi-final back in January after a coming together between Giorgos Giakoumakis and Joe Wright.
Contact was made but Wright seemed to go down very easily. The referee didn’t blow his whistle and the incident was reviewed by VAR – no penalty.
It’s understandable that the Ayrshire side were upset about a 50/50 call at the time, but to revisit it all these months later, ahead of a match against the Bhoys is just strange.
McInnes said this week [Scottish Daily Mail, 18/08 print edition page 77]: “Joe Wright was manhandled. There is no way Giakoumakis can get to the ball but he has come through him, two arms round him. It is a penalty kick.
“Nothing will change my mind we should have had a penalty kick in the last minute of the game. Celtic were firm favourites and that’s not to say they wouldn’t have gone on to win it — but we did deserve the chance to go to extra-time.
“I believe the referee was told it was maybe worth having a look — and the referee thought he had seen it for what it was. He thought it was a defender trying to buy a penalty.”
If this is an attempt to put pressure on the officials this Sunday at Rugby Park, it’s probably not going to work. It just comes across as bitter.
McInnes looked to draw a line under this incident back then, telling reports he didn’t want to “dwell on it”, but clearly he’s been dwelling for a number of months. [The Scotsman]
Yes, he was probably prompted for an answer from journalists, but this was an easy one to sidestep and put focus on your own team ahead of a crucial cup tie this Sunday. He’s added a bizarre layer on to the match and hopefully Celtic leave Kilmarnock looking towards their own failings by the full-time whistle.
In other news, Scotland get UEFA coefficient boost; how it can help Celtic.
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