Celtic conceded a decisive penalty against Dundee after referee Steven McLean overturned his original call following a VAR review, awarding a spot-kick for handball against Colby Donovan.
The incident followed a Ryan Astley effort striking Celtic defender Colby Donovan’s arm inside the box, triggering a VAR review that ultimately changed the on-field decision.
Debate followed the incident, but former FIFA referee Mark Clattenburg says the decision was far more straightforward than the VAR reaction suggested.
Celtic decision holds up under the law
Clattenburg spoke exclusively to 67 Hail Hail and said that the decisive factor is that Donovan’s arm is away from the body, increasing his silhouette as the shot arrives.
The former FIFA referee said, “I have no doubt that the VAR made the right decision in awarding a penalty kick when a Ryan Astley’s shot is blocked by the arm of Colby Donovan.
“The defender’s arm is away from the body making his body bigger so the call to award a penalty was correct.
“Referee Steven McLean eventually after being recommended a review was correct to overturn his original decision.”
That alone meets the threshold for a handball offence, making the award of a penalty consistent with how the rule is enforced.
Celtic’s real issue exposed in Dundee moment
The focus on officiating distracts from how the situation developed, with Celtic allowing the initial strike that created the problem.
Once Astley gets his shot away, defenders are placed under pressure where any poor hand or arm positioning will be punished by the video referee.
Donovan’s body shape in that moment was a clear defensive lapse rather than misfortune, placing responsibility firmly on the player rather than the officials.
Arguments around VAR fall away quickly when the incident is viewed in full. Even with four Celtic defenders within the vicinity, the Dundee man was still allowed to get his shot on goal.
The decision itself is clear, and once that is accepted, the real takeaway is that Celtic’s defensive weaknesses allowed this to happen.
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