It was a dramatic end to proceedings for Celtic at Rugby Park on Sunday.
Celtic beat Kilmarnock after Kelechi Iheanacho scored a stoppage-time penalty to mark his debut by sealing three points for his new side.
All of this came about after Killie’s Lewis Mayo was punished for handball following a shot at goal by James Forrest.
The man in the middle was John Beaton, and he was instructed by VAR to go to his monitor, which he duly did, and he awarded the spot-kick after watching a replay of the incident.
But not everyone felt that Celtic should have been awarded the penalty.
Should Celtic have been awarded a penalty against Kilmarnock?
It shouldn’t be a surprise to fans that the one pundit who was chirping the most about it not being a penalty was Kris Boyd, as he told Sky Sports Football.
Chris Sutton and James McFadden argued the other corner, with the latter explaining that, with Mayo’s arms ‘so outstretched’, it was a harsh call, but the correct one.
McFadden was also quick to shut down Boyd for also suggesting that Forrest’s shot wasn’t going on target, but in fact, was going wide.
Eilidh Barbour: “Was this a penalty, Kris (Boyd)?”
Sutton: “That’s a yes. He hesitated.”
Boyd: “For me, when it takes a deflection, I think you are very, very unlucky for me. I don’t know what you are meant to do. When it hits off him, I don’t know what he is meant to do. For me, for the life of me, I don’t know how that can be given as a penalty kick.”
Sutton: “I think it’s going in, isn’t it?! The position of the arm, it’s outside.”
Boyd: “If that’s going in, maybe we need to move the goals.”
McFadden: “He is going for a block and a shot off the ground, it deflects up off his arms. Technically, they are outstretched, and they make his body bigger. But he isn’t blocking a shot that’s already in the air. I do feel for him. If that’s the way penalties are going to be given this season, then all you are looking for is consistency.”
Boyd: “There is no way that is going in.”
Sutton: “Into the top corner.”
McFadden: “His arms are outstretched, high up, then technically, he is making his body bigger. How close the shot is, and the fact that it pops up. I was slightly surprised, I have to say.”
Sutton: “It’s the position of his arm, isn’t it? If that was at the other end, he (Stuart Kettlewell) would be screaming for a penalty. It’s unlucky. It takes a deflection; it’s the position of the arm. That’s why John Beaton has gone over. He has looked with his own eyes and checked it, and awarded the penalty.”
McFadden: “When it’s so outstretched and it’s going towards the goal. Nobody can tell whether it’s going in or not, for definite, because we never know.”
Boyd: “I can, with 20/20 vision”
McFadden: “You can, but it doesn’t mean that it was definitely going wide. I think, because they are outstretched and it is goal-bound, then you are going to see them given.”
Celtic’s new penalty taker?
Amid the drama of the penalty being awarded, you have to applaud Iheanacho for stepping up and putting away the spot-kick with such authority.
Callum McGregor, who was on the pitch, and Arne Engels have been Celtic’s penalty takers in recent times, but perhaps Brendan Rodgers has a new contender?
That was Iheanacho’s ninth penalty of his career, and his record, so far, is pretty strong.
- Iheanacho’s career penalties: 9
- Penalties scored: 7
- Penalties missed/saved: 2
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