2 Celtic Pundits Give Unanimous Penalty Verdict on Liam Scales Handball: Ross County Coach Claims Score Should Be 2-2
Controversy erupted following Celtic’s narrow victory over Ross County, with two prominent pundits agreeing that a critical handball decision involving Celtic defender Liam Scales should have resulted in a penalty. Ross County coach, feeling aggrieved by the missed call, insisted the match should have ended 2-2, as the non-award of the penalty denied his side a crucial equalizer.
The pivotal moment occurred late in the second half when a Ross County cross into the box appeared to strike the arm of Celtic defender Liam Scales. With Ross County trailing 2-1 at the time, the incident sparked immediate appeals from the visiting side, who were desperate to level the game. However, the referee waved off the claims, allowing play to continue without reviewing the incident through VAR, much to the frustration of the Ross County bench.
Following the match, two high-profile pundits weighed in on the decision during post-match analysis, both agreeing that Scales’ handball should have resulted in a penalty for Ross County.
Ex-Celtic player and current pundit Chris Sutton was unequivocal in his assessment, stating, “For me, it’s a stonewall penalty. His arm was in an unnatural position, and the ball clearly struck it. I’m surprised the referee didn’t have another look at it, especially with the technology available. Ross County have every right to feel hard done by.”
Former Scotland international and fellow pundit Alan Hutton echoed Sutton’s sentiments, saying, “I agree 100%. These are the kind of decisions that can change games. It’s not intentional, but that doesn’t matter in today’s game. The arm is away from the body, and in any other scenario, that’s given as a penalty. VAR should have intervened, and the scoreline could have been different.”
Ross County’s head coach voiced his frustration in his post-match interview, claiming that the failure to award a penalty cost his team a deserved point. “It’s hard to take. We battled hard and had Celtic on the back foot for large spells of the game. The handball is clear for everyone to see, and that should have been a penalty. If we score that, it’s 2-2, and it’s a completely different game.”
The coach also pointed to other contentious decisions in the match, including a potential foul on one of his players during a Celtic counterattack. “We’ve had a couple of decisions go against us today. We’re not asking for favors, just for the right calls to be made. The lads gave everything, and they deserved more from the match.”
Celtic ultimately came away with a 2-1 victory in a hard-fought contest. Goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Matt O’Riley gave the home side a comfortable lead before Ross County pulled one back in the second half. The visitors then mounted heavy pressure in the closing stages, culminating in the controversial handball incident involving Scales.
Despite the win, the post-match debate has overshadowed Celtic’s performance, with fans and pundits alike questioning the officiating decisions and the use of VAR. Ross County will feel aggrieved, as a penalty at such a crucial stage could have changed the outcome of the match and given them a valuable point in their fight for league positioning.
For Ross County, the focus will now shift to their upcoming matches, but the sense of injustice from the Celtic game is likely to linger. Meanwhile, Celtic will be relieved to have secured the win, but the controversy surrounding the handball decision has left some questioning the fairness of the result.
As debates over the use of VAR and officiating in Scottish football continue, this latest incident will only add to the growing calls for greater consistency in how key decisions are handled, especially in high-stakes matches.
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