Former Hoops midfielder John Collins did not hold back in his assessment of Sebastian Tounekti following Celtic’s dramatic encounter at Easter Road. Despite Brendan Rodgers’ side eventually securing a win, Collins highlighted a moment of “stupidity” from the young attacker that nearly derailed their efforts.
The Hoops appeared to be in control with a 1-0 lead courtesy of Daizen Maeda. However, the momentum shifted when Tounekti committed a foul on Owen Elding in a non-threatening wide area.
A Costly Lapse in Judgment
Collins argued that the challenge was entirely avoidable. He noted that the Hibs man was actually moving away from Viljami Sinisalo’s goal when Tounekti intervened. The resulting free-kick led to a chaotic sequence where Joe Newell leveled the scoring, much to the frustration of the Celtic players who claimed a handball in the build-up.
Speaking on the incident, Collins remarked:
“It all comes from the stupidity of Tounekti giving away a pointless free-kick in the wide areas. Nicky Cadden sends a great delivery into the box. In the second phase, the goalkeeper came for it and got an average punch on it. Fair play to Hibs, they get the ball in the box and it’s 1-1. Unbelievable.”
Mixed Reactions from the Bench
Packie Bonner echoed these sentiments, agreeing that the error was a significant and costly lapse in concentration. Manager Martin O’Neill took a more diplomatic stance regarding the controversial equaliser. While his players were convinced of a handball, O’Neill chose not to fixate on the officiating.
“I haven’t seen it again,” O’Neill stated. “We have a wee monitor at the side, and the boys thought it might have been at that stage, but it is what it is.”Redemption through Iheanacho
While the avoidable foul and the subsequent equaliser caused plenty of tension on the touchline, Celtic managed to find a late hero. Kelechi Iheanacho eventually found the back of the net to restore the lead and secure all three points for the Glasgow side.
While the victory keeps the title charge on track, the post-match discussion has centered heavily on the discipline of the squad’s younger players and the avoidable nature of the Hibs goal.