Sky Sports release VAR audio analysing Kilmarnock handball for Celtic penalty

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The VAR audio analysing the controversial handball that led to a Celtic penalty vs Kilmarnock has been released.

The Hoops faced Killie at Rugby Park in September and deep into six minutes of stoppage time, the score was locked at 1-1.

James Forrest struck a shot towards goal in the dying seconds and the ball hit off Kilmarnock defender Robbie Deas’ leg before rebounding onto Lewis Mayo’s outstretched forearm at close range.

VAR spotted the incident and carefully reviewed the camera angles before recommending on on-field review to referee John Beaton.

Beaton looked at a couple of clips before determining that Mayo was guilty of handball and thus awarded a penalty, which Kelechi Iheanacho converted for a 2-1 win.

The incident caused huge controversy after the game with Kilmarnock boss Stuart Kettlewell fizzing that his side was penalised.

Now, a few weeks on since the flashpoint, Sky Sports have released the full audio from the VAR control room as the officials analyse the decision.

• READ MORE: What Virgil van Dijk did at Celtic that made Charlie Mulgrew feel like a 5-year-old

VAR audio for Celtic penalty vs Kilmarnock made public

Matthew MacDermid was the VAR for the incident and he initially wanted to make sure that the ball definitely strikes Mayo’s forearm.

He then seeks to determine whether the arm was ‘outstretched from the body’ or not, asking his assistant Ross Hardie for his opinion.

Hardie explains that he sees Mayo’s forearm ‘extended slightly’ but that the upper arm is pinned to his body.

MacDermid acknowledges that the ball deflects off Deas up onto Mayo’s arm, but recommends an on-field review for a potential penalty kick because the arm is outstretched away from the body and raised to shoulder height.

MacDermid talks Beaton through the clips shown on the pitchside monitor and once again notes that the ball comes off Deas first before striking Mayo’s arm.

However, he explains that Mayo’s arm is away from his body and raised to shoulder height. Beaton doesn’t take too long before confirming he will award a penalty to Celtic but won’t issue a yellow card for the offence.

How Kilmarnock boss Kettlewell reacted to Celtic penalty award

Kettlewell claimed that a meeting at the start of the season explained that if a ball deflects off an opponent or your own player onto a hand or arm from a very short distance, it wouldn’t be given as a penalty.

He told Sky Sports after the game: “This is where I’ll try and be factual in it. We’ll all debate and we’ll all start talking about it. I’ve spoken to a few people in here in-house and outwith, and there’s just amazement that it’s awarded as a penalty.

“The reason why is we sat at a meeting at the start of the season, and we were told that if a ball ricochets off an opponent player or your own player from such distance, which the two players are almost touching each other trying to block the ball, and the ball’s going across the goal, it’s not going into the net, then that’s not going to be a penalty anymore.

“That’s what myself, I heard that, the staff heard that, the players heard that. So again, it’s where we come back round in a circle and we ask for confirmation. Is that the case, or is it not the case?”