Celtic have formally challenged Auston Trusty’s dismissal against Hearts by submitting an appeal to the Scottish FA.
The centre back was sent off during a dramatic 2-2 draw at Tynecastle, a decision that quickly became the major talking point of the afternoon. Celtic were leading through Hyun Jun Yang when Trusty was penalised for hauling down Pierre Landry Kabore as the forward chased through on goal.
Referee Steven McLean initially judged the offence worthy of a yellow card, but his decision was reviewed following VAR intervention. After being sent to the pitchside monitor, McLean changed his call and produced a red, reducing Celtic to 10 men.
Martin O’Neill was furious with the outcome and argued strongly that the incident did not meet the criteria for denying a clear scoring chance. Celtic have backed their manager’s stance and confirmed they will contest the decision.
In a club statement, Celtic said they will lodge an appeal with the SFA regarding the red card shown to Trusty after VAR became involved during Sunday’s match in Edinburgh.
O’Neill did not hide his anger when speaking after the final whistle. He felt Celtic had been in control for long periods and believed the sending off shifted the balance of the game in the closing stages.
He pointed out that the pass was moving away from goal and insisted there was defensive cover in place. From his perspective, the length of the VAR review made little sense and the final verdict was wrong. O’Neill added that playing the final 20 minutes with 10 men placed his side under intense pressure and likely cost them all three points, even though he praised his players for digging in.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor later described the incident as one that sat in a grey area.
The midfielder noted that had the referee produced a red card immediately, there may have been less surprise. However, once a yellow was shown, McGregor questioned whether the decision was a clear enough error to justify a VAR review.
Ultimately, McGregor felt it was one of those calls that could have gone either way, even if the frustration around the change of decision was understandable.