Dermot Gallagher expresses John Beaton surprise after Celtic awarded penalty vs Kilmarnock

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What an ending to what has been a turbulent few weeks for Celtic.

From the abject 2025 summer transfer window, that Saturday night club statement, a Celtic insider leaking info about Brendan Rodgers, and then the manager’s own Box Office-like press conference, it was good to end it all with a dramatic win at Rugby Park.

Celtic beat Kilmarnock 2-1, with debutant Kelechi Iheanacho netting a stoppage-time penalty, which has divided opinion across the board.

Killie’s Lewis Mayo was the man punished because he was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area following James Forrest’s shot, but Dermot Gallagher has questioned John Beaton’s call.

• READ MORE: What the SFA told the BBC about Celtic penalty call immediately after Kilmarnock win

Dermot Gallagher on John Beaton overturning Celtic’s penalty call vs Kilmarnock

At first, Beaton didn’t award the spot kick, and instead, waved the protests on, before he was asked by VAR to look at his monitor.

Whilst former Premier League referee Gallagher had no issue with Beaton going down that road, he still felt, after seeing a replay, that the on-field official would not award a penalty.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Gallagher explained why it was ‘extremely unlucky’, from Killie’s part, that they were on the end of such a call.

“I think it’s extremely harsh,” said Gallagher. “I also thought, when the referee was sent to the screen, he wouldn’t give a penalty because, if you watch, it’s his own teammate that strikes the ball.

“It comes off his own teammate, rebounds up. What they work to do is, if it comes off a part of your own body and onto your hand, you play on. Or a teammate.

“If you watch, it does come off his teammate, his arm is up and is always in that position. He’s there, and it has struck him. I thought it was extremely unlucky.”

Jay Bothroyd says he ‘probably would have got a red card’

Forrest took his shot from close range, as there was also a deflection on the way to it, hitting Mayo on the hand.

Bearing all of that in mind, former Arsenal and Cardiff City player Jay Bothroyd thinks it was a ‘poor, poor decision’, and he admitted that he probably would have got sent off for protesting the call.

“That is so harsh,” added Bothroyd. “I probably would have got a red card for arguing with the referee there. That was so bad.

“The fact that it has deflected off the player and onto his arm. They are so close. He hasn’t put his hand out to try and react to stop it from going in. Poor, poor decision.”