Going into first half stoppage time at Aberdeen last night Celtic were once again denied a very clear penalty.
It is the fourth successive SPFL match that Martin O’Neill’s side have been on the wrong end of penalty decisions.
Football is often decided by small margins.
Nick Walsh and Chris Graham had no hesitation in awarding Aberdeen a 19th minute penalty for a foul by Liam Scales.
Late in the first half Sebastian Tounekti found space down the left wing and cut in towards the penalty box.
His cross went past Alexander Jensen but not Jack Milne.
CELTIC CLAIM FOR PENALTY- IGNORED BY VAR AND SKY
The Aberdeen defender knew the danger behind him of the ball going into the six yard area. Very briefly he pushed his right arm forward and firmed it up to block the ball. It went out for a corner.
Four Celtic players instantly claimed for a penalty.
Walsh briefly paused the match. Sky Sports showed one replay with Ian Crocker and James McFadden instantly deciding that it wasn’t a penalty.
Graham in the VAR studio quickly agreed. Play restarted with a corner to Celtic.
Martin O’Neill brought the incident up in his post match interview with Sky Sports. The reporter ignored the comment, moving sharply on to his next pre-arranged question.
Sky Sports doing best to gaslight this wasn’t a penalty. On super slo’ mo’ Tounekti crosses the ball – Milne has arm at his side & ball’s travelling past him to Cvancara, Milne then extends his arm to make himself bigger & block ball for corner. Celtic 100% robbed of pen pic.twitter.com/yDIUvMb5R5
— The Global Tablet of Jurisprudence (@gtj1247) March 4, 2026
THE BRAD LYONS KILMARNOCK HANDBALL
With less than 10 minutes left to play and Celtic drawing 2-2 a high ball was played into the Kilmarnock penalty box.
Panic struck Jack Lyons lifted his arm to the ball as Tounekti waited for it to drop. Referee Duncan Nicolson had a clear view of the raised arm hitting the ball but took no action.
Nor did Greg Aitken on VAR. Aitken was born in Kilmarnock, attended Kilmarnock Academy and still lives in the town. Kilmarnock are his second team, like many in the town.
Fortunately Celtic went on to score a stoppage time winner from Julian Araujo to win 3-2.
Had Nicolson or Aitken did their job properly Celtic would have had a penalty in regulation time to go 3-2 in front.
Another Kilmarnock handball and a penalty shout for Celtic.
Penalty not given and ref not shown to VAR monitor to look.— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) February 15, 2026
JACK IREDALE’S PROLONGED JERSEY PULL ON LIAM SCALES
With the match level at 1-1 against Hibs Celtic were reduced to 10 men when Auston Trusty was sent off.
Matthew MacDermid was content to speak to Trusty and Keiran McGrath but Grant Irvine on VAR decided to get involved. After a pitchside review Trusty was sent off.
When the corner kick was taken Irvine was less keen to get involved.
Jack Iredale grabbed Scales’ jersey, ran with and held back the Celtic defender preventing him from reaching the ball.
A phantom VAR review was called. Play restarted with a goal-kick to Hibs despite Warren O’Hora heading the ball behind for another corner.
Inside Celtic Park the big screens informed fans that the incident was outside of the penalty box.
Blatant foul and shirt pull on Liam Scales, where he would’ve ended up in the area where the Hibs player headers it.
It is as clear a penalty as you will ever see. pic.twitter.com/HqqJVnVWo1
— Celtic Thoughts (@celtic_thoughts) February 22, 2026
STERLING MAN HANDLES AND JERSEY PULL ON TOUNEKTI
Earlier in the match VAR had taken no action when Scales was rugby tackled by Tochi Chukwuani as he tried to connect with a 12th minute corner.
In the 82nd minute Celtic were trailing 2-1when the ball was fed to Tounekti in the penalty box.
The winger knocked the ball past Dujon Sterling who ‘jockeyed’ his opponent, pulling Tounekti’s shirt for six seconds before pushing him over the line. For good measure Sterling got the final touch before the ball went out.
John Beaton had a clear view from behind of the prolonged shirt pull and took no action. Steven McLean on VAR had access to multiple camera angles, he didn’t even pause play for a review.
Later in the match Beaton required more than two minutes at the pitchside monitor to admit that a handball from Sterling required Celtic to be awarded a penalty.
2 things here:
1)
Why is the Rangers player simply allowed to pull the Celtic players shirt in the Rangers area and no penalty?There were tears for months about a borderline shirt pull on the edge of the box last season.
2)
Clearly comes off the Rangers players boot & out. pic.twitter.com/ER4wA5AOm6— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) March 1, 2026
So over the course of a month, Walsh, Graham, McLean, Beaton, Aitken, Nicolson, McDermid and Irvine have denied Celtic fairly clear cut penalties in tight SPFL matches. Small margins and all that.
On Sunday the spotlight switches to Don Robertson and Andrew Dallas as Celtic go to Ibrox in the Scottish Cup.
Tounekti can expect the usual treatment.
Anyone expecting clarity from Willie Collum and Gordon Duncan on the monthly VAR Review show hasn’t been paying attention.
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1 Comment
by Hugh Burns
Once again, a stonewall penalty kick denied bu a crooked ref!! The Dins players arm was clearly out from his body and the “panel” ( Boyd surprise surprise) saying no!! Had it been an ibrokes penalty it WOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN!! Make no mistake!! Yes the list now is getting bigger and bigger, and it is time Celtic made a video of all these foils and made sure they are seen by Wee Willie Winky from Carlin!! And put in in the spotlight just to see his reaction to so many “ genuine mistakes”! In any other job people would be sacked, but the “brothers” look like they are exempt!!! Surprise!!Lets get to ibrokes on Sunday and make sure we put the ball in the net enough times to win the game without the hun refs getting it all their own way!!