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<\/p>\n
Play continued. VAR did not send the referee to the monitor.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He said: (Hotline Live<\/a>), \u201cThat was a penalty kick. It was a clear, clear penalty kick. Scales is well built. You\u2019ve got it on the screen there.<\/p>\n \u201cIredale\u2019s got a hold of his arm, he\u2019s got a hold of his jersey. And if you look straight behind again, a pair of black socks, how close is he to it?<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I would say is he doesn\u2019t need to be looking at the ball because the ball\u2019s only going to come one place. The ball\u2019s going to land in there. That\u2019s what the assistant referee\u2019s for.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re there to watch. What the referee should be doing, and he\u2019s probably switched off, the referee should be looking at what\u2019s going on at that moment in time in the penalty area. The ball\u2019s coming in anyway. But to me, that is a clear and obvious error. And VAR should have been involved in that.<\/p>\n \u201cSee, and I\u2019ve heard that as well, saying that because Scales wasn\u2019t going to get the ball. I\u2019m sorry, that\u2019s not the rules. That\u2019s not the laws of the game. That\u2019s not what it\u2019s there for. You\u2019re there to make an opinion on an instance in front of you.<\/p>\n \u201cA player who\u2019s been pulled, he\u2019s been grappled inside the penalty area. We\u2019re getting guys sent off for running away from the halfway line and getting trips left, right and centre. That\u2019s as clear a penalty kick as you\u2019re going to get.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter whether he\u2019s 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\u2019s a potential goal. That\u2019s a potential red card. It\u2019s a potential penalty kick. It\u2019s a completely wrong call.\u201d<\/p>\n Roache\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The wider frustration comes from the contrast. VAR intervened to upgrade Trusty\u2019s challenge to a red card. It stayed silent here. One moment is slowed down and dissected. The other is waved away.<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n![\"celtic](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3DTJ40C.jpg\")
3DTJ40C Celtic\u2019s Auston Trusty is sent off during the William Hill Premiership match at Celtic Park<\/a>, Glasgow. Picture date: Sunday February 22, 2026.<\/p>\n
![\"Tees](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/CELTIC-FC-VALENTINES-MERCHANDISE-CARD.png\")