Two Derby Day incidents that VAR didn't want to review

The match officials and VAR have virtually escaped scrutiny for the performances and decision making in Saturday’s Glasgow Derby.

Upgrading John Lundstram’s yellow card to red was the main headline with only the ranting Kenny Miller disputing that decision, when Kris Boyd disowned his former team-mate it was Slam Dunk with Miller looking a bigger fool that the Scary Scouser.

A 2-1 win for Celtic fitted in with most predictions, the margin of victory could have been more but there was nothing pivotal in the decisions made that impacted on the outcome.

Unlike the combined efforts of John Beaton and Nick Walsh at Ibrox last month which dragged the home team back into the match when their players were a spent force.

Once against Philippe Clement’s side got through a Derby match without picking up a single booking.

Mohamed Diomanse, as he had done the previous month at Ibrox seemed to have a particular gripe with Reo Hatate, spending the entire match trying to inflict injury on the Celtic midfielder.

Realising the different standards of Scottish referees the on loan Ibrox midfielder tested the tolerance of Collum in the eighth minute with a brutal attack on Hatate’s neck and the side of his face.

The match referee awarded a free kick but decided on no further action.

On VAR duty McLean had access to various camera angles and slow motion, when Sky Sports replayed the incident there was a nasty element to it, intent to injure.

Inside the first 10 minutes McLean has decided against sending Collum over to the pitchside monitor for a second viewing. Neither Collum or McLean will be anywhere near the European Championshio Finals in Germany next month despite UEFA calling up 90 officials for the tournament.

That’s about as conclusive as it gets. https://t.co/s9AUl55ZaS pic.twitter.com/SQ4LvbWCLM
— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) May 13, 2024

Diomande much more force than Simunovic, who actually has position and moving in front of Morelos. https://t.co/s9AUl55ZaS pic.twitter.com/8BYLtIC9tO
— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) May 14, 2024

Early in the second half Celtic were pushing for the third goal, having got over the set-back of Matt O’Riley missing a penalty after McLean had called for a needless VAR review.

Alistair Johnston broke into the penalty box, sending in a cross from eight yards out.

Having started the match on the right-wing Dujon Sterling switched to centre-half at half-time, partnering Ben Davies.

Realising that Johnston’s cross was going past him the former Chelsea starlet raised his right arm towards the ball, contact was made with Johnston’s cross slightly deflected.

Collum could be excused for failing to notice the change in direction but that is exactly the situation that McLean is in Clydesdale House to spot.

Contact was minimal but it was more deliberate than the incident involving Tomoki Iwata at Tynecastle that John Beaton decided to review.

Typically there has been no comment from Celtic on either incident, they didn’t have their media partners briefed to conduct a witch hunt on the match officials.