Auston Trusty’s red card at Tynecastle has remained a major talking point, with Sky Sports Ref Watch split over whether the Celtic defender should have been sent off.
The USA international was dismissed after hauling down Hearts forward Landry Kabore as he broke beyond the Hoops back line. Referee Steven McLean initially showed a yellow card, but VAR official John Beaton recommended a review, which led to the decision being upgraded. Celtic were reduced to ten men and Hearts later made it count, with Claudio Braga grabbing a late equaliser.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher felt McLean had got it right the first time and argued the situation did not meet the threshold for a red card. Speaking on Sky Sports, he said the incident was harsh and pointed to the definition of denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
Gallagher explained that Kabore did not yet have control of the ball and was moving away from goal, adding that a covering defender would likely have recovered by the time the striker brought the ball under control.
Jay Bothroyd took the opposite view, insisting Kabore’s pace would have allowed him to create a chance on goal. He accepted the incident may not have looked clear cut at first, but argued the Hearts striker would have been able to shift the ball inside and get a shot away before any defender could intervene.
The debate continued as Gallagher doubled down on his stance, stressing that two key criteria for a sending off were not met. In his view, Kabore was not in possession and the ball was travelling away from goal, which made the red card decision difficult to justify.