Martin O’Neill cut a defiant figure after Celtic were held to a dramatic draw with Hearts, insisting Auston Trusty was harshly sent off in the title showdown at Tynecastle.
The champions had taken the lead in the top of the table clash, but the contest turned late on when Trusty hauled down Landry Kabore as the Hearts forward burst beyond the Celtic back line. Referee Kevin Clancy initially reached for a yellow card, only for VAR official John Beaton to intervene and advise a review. After consulting the pitchside monitor, Clancy upgraded the punishment to a red card for the American defender.
Hearts capitalised in the closing stages, with Claudio Braga firing home an 87th minute equaliser to earn the league leaders a point.
O’Neill was adamant the decision was wrong, arguing that Kabore was moving away from goal and that Liam Scales was in position to provide cover. The Celtic manager also questioned why the incident required such lengthy consideration.
“We scored a really fine goal and were in reasonable control,” O’Neill said. “We did give away some silly free kicks and conceded just after half time, which put the game in the balance. Then we score a magnificent second goal and the sending off obviously plays a huge part in the final 20 minutes.
“I’ve watched it back and I honestly don’t see it. Maybe I’ve been out of the game too long or maybe I’m misreading the rules. The ball is going away from goal, it’s not straight through, and we have a player covering. I don’t understand why it took so long. For me, it’s not a red card. That decision had a massive influence on the end of the match.”
Despite the frustration, O’Neill took positives from his side’s resilience after being reduced to ten men.
“When you lead twice you’re always disappointed not to win,” he added. “But once the red card comes out, it’s backs to the wall. In that sense, I’m delighted with the team. It would have been great to take all three points, and you never know, with 11 men we might have seen it out.”
The draw leaves Hearts six points clear of Celtic at the top of the Premiership, with Rangers moving ahead of the Hoops into second place.