Chris Sutton and Kris Boyd clashed on the Warm-Up podcast over Celtic’s dramatic late penalty against Motherwell, with the pair taking completely different views on the incident that has changed the Premiership title race.
The decision has dominated the fallout from Wednesday night’s chaos.
Sam Nicholson appeared to handle the ball while challenging Auston Trusty inside the box, with some also pointing to an elbow catching the Celtic defender during the aerial duel.
Boyd strongly disagreed with the award and repeatedly argued Nicholson had nowhere else to put his arm once Trusty backed into him.
Sutton, though, felt the process itself was straightforward once VAR asked Beaton to review the incident.
Speaking on the Warm-Up podcast, Sutton said: “John Beaton was asked to go to the monitor. He was advised to go to the monitor.
“He did do and he made a subjective call.
“And honestly, I don’t think that there can be any argument really that the ball didn’t hit his hand.
“It did and his hand was in an unnatural position.”
Boyd pushed back immediately.
He said: “Where is it meant to put it once Trusty has locked his shoulders there?
“I don’t think it hit his hand, but if it did, I still don’t think it’s a penalty.”
The debate quickly became heated as Sutton accused Boyd of trying to argue two separate points at once.
Sutton replied: “You’re trying to argue multiple points here.
“I wouldn’t mind if you stuck to one thing.
“But you’re saying, well, it didn’t hit his hand.
“And you’re saying, well, even if it did, you know, I don’t get that.”
While Boyd disputed the late penalty, he did admit Celtic may have had a strong case earlier in the game when Motherwell goalkeeper Calum Ward crashed into Daizen Maeda while attempting to punch clear.
Boyd said: “I thought the Maeda one was a penalty last night as well.
“Because I think the goalkeeper then comes, he gets a punch in the wrist, but he knees him first.”
That part of the discussion has been slightly lost amid the outrage over the winning goal.
From a Celtic point of view, that inconsistency is exactly why the reaction from some quarters has felt over the top. The Maeda incident was barely discussed in comparison despite also being a major decision inside the penalty area.
Sutton also suggested much of the anger around the late call was tied directly to the title race itself.
He said: “A lot of people don’t want Celtic to win the league.
“People want a different story, north of the border. And I get that, but it’s a subjective call.”
Whether people agree with the decision or not, the reality is that VAR reviewed the incident, Beaton looked at the monitor himself and then made the call.
Now it all comes down to Saturday at Celtic Park.
