Simon Donnelly has shared his thoughts on Celtic’s penalty appeal against Hibs and Auston Trusty’s red card, two decisions that collectively denied the Parkhead club a vital three points in their title defence.
Trusty was shown a red card after VAR directed the match referee to review the incident on the pitchside monitor. What made the situation harder for Celtic supporters to digest was that VAR did not apply the same scrutiny moments later when Liam Scales appeared to have his shirt pulled inside the box, leaving the Hoops without what many felt was a clear penalty claim.
Donnelly, who was present at Parkhead in his role with Celtic TV, gave his assessment of both flashpoints.
On Trusty, the former Celtic striker admitted he was left baffled by the defender’s decision-making. He described the moment as a rush of blood, noting that Trusty had punched downward to free himself from the opposing player’s grip. Under the current rules and with VAR in operation, that kind of contact is always going to be scrutinised closely. Donnelly felt the timing made it all the more costly, as Celtic had not been fully in control of the game but had looked as though things were trending in their favour. Once the red card was issued, he believed the momentum shifted decisively toward Hibs, who grew in confidence and began to look genuinely threatening.
Regarding the penalty shout, Donnelly said he was genuinely puzzled as to why VAR chose not to intervene. There was a pause in play that suggested a review might be coming, and Scales was clearly appealing that he had been pulled back by his jersey as he attempted to move away from his marker. Donnelly acknowledged there was an argument to be made, but ultimately the decision was not referred for further examination.
With Trusty now suspended and set to miss two matches, Martin O’Neill faces a selection headache with limited options available to him at the back.