Andy Halliday believes Celtic were wrongly denied a penalty during their Scottish Cup semi-final victory over St Johnstone at Hampden on Sunday.
The referee had two on-field decisions overturned after review at the monitor.
The flashpoint came in the second half when James Forrest was sent tumbling in the box after what looked like clear contact from a St Johnstone defender.
Initially, referee Calum Scott pointed straight to the spot, appearing certain that Forrest had been fouled.
However, VAR official Andrew Dallas advised a review, leading Scott to the pitchside monitor where he overturned his own decision and awarded a drop ball in favour of St Johnstone.
Speaking on Open Goal, Halliday didn’t hold back in his assessment of the incident. “I think the James Forrest one is a penalty. I genuinely think that’s a penalty,” Halliday said.
“He catches him with his arm. They were talking about whether he’s clipped him somewhere else, but as a winger, if you’re running at pace and someone comes across you with their arm across your body – you’re done, you’re going down.”
The decision sparked frustration among Celtic supporters, who felt the overturn was harsh. Forrest, chasing a goal to mark his 16th successive scoring season at Celtic, looked to have been impeded by a forearm across his body as he battled to stay on his feet.
Despite the controversy, Celtic powered through to the final with a 5-0 win, setting up a showdown with Aberdeen. But the penalty debate rumbles on, with Halliday adding his voice to those questioning the decision-making process in the Hampden VAR hub.
