Celtic’s 2-1 defeat to Hibernian continues to spark debate, and former referee Des Roache has delivered a strong verdict on the Liam Scales penalty incident.
The moment came shortly after Auston Trusty’s red card. With the game still within reach, Celtic won a corner. As the ball was about to drop into the six-yard box from a corner, Scales was clearly held by Jack Iredale. His arm was grabbed. His shirt was pulled. Instead of attacking the ball, he ended up on the grass.
Play continued. VAR did not send the referee to the monitor.
Roache believes that was a clear mistake. The former Category 1 official argued the contact inside the box met the threshold for a penalty and should have been reviewed.
He said: (Hotline Live), “That was a penalty kick. It was a clear, clear penalty kick. Scales is well built. You’ve got it on the screen there.
“Iredale’s got a hold of his arm, he’s got a hold of his jersey. And if you look straight behind again, a pair of black socks, how close is he to it?
“What I would say is he doesn’t need to be looking at the ball because the ball’s only going to come one place. The ball’s going to land in there. That’s what the assistant referee’s for.
“They’re there to watch. What the referee should be doing, and he’s probably switched off, the referee should be looking at what’s going on at that moment in time in the penalty area. The ball’s coming in anyway. But to me, that is a clear and obvious error. And VAR should have been involved in that.
“See, and I’ve heard that as well, saying that because Scales wasn’t going to get the ball. I’m sorry, that’s not the rules. That’s not the laws of the game. That’s not what it’s there for. You’re there to make an opinion on an instance in front of you.
“A player who’s been pulled, he’s been grappled inside the penalty area. We’re getting guys sent off for running away from the halfway line and getting trips left, right and centre. That’s as clear a penalty kick as you’re going to get.
“It doesn’t matter whether he’s going to get it or not. You act upon the incident that you can see. And why VAR has chosen to get involved in something needlessly and ignore that? Because that’s a potential goal. That’s a potential red card. It’s a potential penalty kick. It’s a completely wrong call.”
Roache’s argument focuses on what happens in the box. Scales is trying to attack the area. He is not backing in aimlessly. He is pulled off his line. That stops a goal scoring opportunity before the ball even arrives.
That is the part that matters most. If a defender stops a run by holding a shirt, it does not need to be dramatic. It just needs to prevent the attacking player from competing.
The wider frustration comes from the contrast. VAR intervened to upgrade Trusty’s challenge to a red card. It stayed silent here. One moment is slowed down and dissected. The other is waved away.
3DTJ40C Celtic’s Auston Trusty is sent off during the William Hill Premiership match at Celtic Park, Glasgow. Picture date: Sunday February 22, 2026.
In a title race where the margins are tight, that imbalance leaves a mark. Celtic were already down to ten men. A penalty gives them a route back into control of the game.
Instead, the corner passed, the chance was gone, and Hibs went on to take all three points. That sequence is why the debate is not going away.
