Celtic got the defence of the Scottish Premiership title off to a great start in the 4-0 win over Kilmarnock at Parkhead yesterday.
Goals from Reo Hatate, Liam Scales, Nicolas Kuhn and Anthony Ralston sealed an almost-perfect performance by the Bhoys as they blew Kilmarnock away and took their place at the top of the table.
The game was allowed to flow by the match referee, Don Robertson, but there was one incident that caused a debate between former Celtic hero, Charlie Mulgrew and Kris Boyd in the Sky Sports studio at full time.
Celtic should have been awarded a spot kick after Kyogo Furuhashi was flattened by Kilmarnock’s keeper, Robbie McCrorie.
VAR didn’t check it and the match referee waved play on. Have a look at the incident here:
Celtic penalty debate after Kyogo ‘gets smashed’
Speaking after the win, the topic turned to whether or not Celtic should have been awarded the penalty and Mulgrew put Boyd straight after the former Rangers striker offered an excuse on why the spot kick wasn’t given.
Mulgrew: “For starters, what a ball from Matt O’Riley. What a bit of imagination and creativity and it’s 100% a penalty.
“He [Kyogo] takes his touch and if he doesn’t get fouled he’s going to tap it in. The keeper comes and clatters him.
“It was clumsy from the keeper, great touch [by Kyogo], he gets smashed. It’s a penalty. It doesn’t matter what the score is, it’s a penalty.”
Boyd: “People will say this is because it’s Celtic you’re saying this, personally I can also understand why it’s not been given because where is the goalkeeper meant to go?
“As I say, for me, it is a penalty kick and I’m going to end up arguing with myself here but it’s touch and then it’s hit.
“I just think it’s touch and then it’s bang, straight away. I don’t know where he’s [Robbie McCrorie] meant to go.”
Mulgrew: “He should stay on his line if he’s going to come out and clatter people or it’s a penalty.”
There is no doubt that, for me, it is 100% a penalty and Boyd’s excuse of where the ‘keeper is meant to go just doesn’t wash.
If a challenge cannot be made fairly or cleanly then it is reckless and it’s a foul. The issue is not where McCrorie is meant to go but more like, ‘What was he thinking?’
The Kilmarnock keeper completely mistimed his challenge and just wiped the Celtic striker out. In the end, it didn’t really matter as the scoreline was already emphatic but as Mulgrew points out, that shouldn’t matter when applying the laws of the game and, on this occasion, it seems that Robertson has missed an easy call.
The debate will undoubtedly rumble on but what will be interesting is whether will we see consistency on this type of challenge in the future.
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