Celtic looked to be home and dry after half an hour in their win against Hibs.
But in the end, they needed a crucial save from Kasper Schmeichel to prevent Hibs from equalising in the later stages.
In a game that was expected to be a farewell for Martin O’Neill, Celtic ended up whetting the appetite for the home match against Falkirk on Wednesday, where he will still be in charge.
Yang Hyun-Jun, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate were scintillating in the first 45 minutes, but by the end, it was Liam Scales and Auston Trusty providing the big moments.
It was Scales who was penalised in a controversial second-half penalty decision which allowed Martin Boyle to halve the deficit – Scales commented on it after the match.
Liam Scales on penalty decision in Hibs vs Celtic
We’ve seen our fair share of controversial handball decisions already in the Premiership season so far.
Chris Sutton described the call as ‘harsh’ on Scales in Sky’s broadcast of the match, saying that the Hoops defender’s arms were in a natural position.
READ MORE: Five things we learned as Martin O’Neill train steams on with hard-fought Celtic win vs Hibs
Callum McGregor and Liam Scales – Credit: Sky Sports
But when asked about it after the game, the Irishman was brutally honest, admitting that he expected the referee to go to the monitor.
He said: “Yeah, I’m not going to complain. I think my hand’s probably up.
“It just comes through a lot of bodies, and I just wasn’t anticipating it coming to me, you know?
“I’d have to watch it back, but at the time, I thought that it was going to go to VAR, and would probably be a penalty.
“Yeah, 100% [you don’t know if it’s going to go for or against you], but for me, I thought it was going to go to VAR and be a penalty.
“So, no complaints.”
Liam Scales on the handball penalty decision in Celtic’s win vs Hibs
Was it a penalty?
🗣️ “At the time I thought it was going to go to VAR and be a penalty”
🗣️ “It doesn’t really matter who the manager is, we have a job to try and win”
Callum McGregor & Liam Scales on Celtic’s win, Hibs’ penalty & the Hoops’ search for a permanent manager ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/Rcwx4RNLiR
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) November 30, 2025
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There may be no complaints from Scales, but O’Neill and the Celtic support may have different ideas.
Jock Stein famously said that if you’re good enough, the referee doesn’t matter, and Celtic proved that today by pulling through for the three points.
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