The first half handball from Ben Davies wasn’t the only penalty incident that John Beaton quickly dismissed on VAR duty from the Scottish Cup Final.
That one was obviously enough as the former Liverpool star, who never actually played for Jurgen Klopp’s side raised his right arm to deflect the ball away from James Forrest.
With Daizen Maeda again skinning James Tavernier down the left flank he had time to cut the ball back knowing exactly where Kyogo Furuhashi would be expecting the ball.
As the Celtic striker raced into position he was hit by the double whammy of Ben Davies bundling him over, for insurance purposes Leon Balogun’s right foot swings into the back of Kyogo’s knee forcing the striker into a ‘shot’ that went wide of the post.
The commentary team on Premier Sports expected a corner, from the normal angle it looked like a well timed interception from Balogun, when the incident was replayed Michael Stewart congratulated Nick Walsh on seeing that Kyogo had got the final touch.
In the VAR studio Beaton has plenty of time to review the incident with slow motion, play had stopped with the award of a free kick and Kyogo taking time to get back to his feet.
A review would have shown Balogun kicking through his opponents leg, a clear penalty but at a dangerous time in the match with Celtic getting on top and confidence fragile in the new look Ibrox central defensive partnership.
Why was this not looked at and given as a pen? Balogun boots Kyogos calf, nothing on the ball at all?! pic.twitter.com/Dlj0zURVpc
— Paul (@Migano2000) May 26, 2024
Why Beaton was on VAR duty is something that perhaps Michael Nicholson can explain at the 2024 Celtic AGM.
Back in November he was asked about ‘mysterious’ decisions by the man from the Crown Bar in Bellshill during a match against St Mirren, the Celtic CEO cracked a joke that his boardroom chums found hilarious.
Brendan Rodgers had nothing to laugh about in February when Celtic lost 2-0 to Hearts. In his post match media conferences he described Beaton as incompetent, collecting his first ever touchline ban from the SFA.
When he was allowed to return to his workplace after the Livingston ban he found Beaton refereeing Celtic’s visit to Ibrox, five weeks after the travesty at Tynecastle.
Leading 2-0 and cruising Beaton awarded the homeside a penalty early in the second half following a VAR review after his initial decision was to book Fabio Sima for diving.
Beaton also refereed Celtic’s first post-split match away to Dundee as Crawford Allan signed off as Head of Refereeing at the SFA.
With another predictable in-house appointment in the shape of Willie Collum it looks like nothing will change in Scottish refereeing as ‘our top whistlers’ watch the European championships on television. Again.
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Stonewaller and incredible once again that it wasn’t reviewed but they’ll all focus on the handball never being a penalty because the hand was ‘in a natural position’ (seriously that’s their argument) & apparently Greg Taylor now fouling raskin when he pushed Joe Hart 🙄🙄
— L67 (@outsideisfree67) May 26, 2024
Definite penalty, one is holding Kyogo back while the other one goes through the back of his legs 🤷♂️ Beaton earned his corn yesterday, but it still couldn’t help with the shite they have on the park 😂
— Yogi il Tempo (@Yogi_theTim) May 26, 2024
If we take Balogun out the picture it’s still a penalty as Davies pulls Kyogo back with hand on shoulder.
Take Davies out and Balogun fouls Kyogo with kick on back of leg as he’s about to shoot.
Fouled twice, it a pen and two yellow cards.— steve kane 🏴 (@kane90) May 26, 2024
