Celtic got their first win under Wilfried Nancy in a 3-1 victory over Aberdeen. One big flash point point in the match was the Don’s red card in first-half stoppage time; now former referee Dermot Gallagher has had his say on the incident.
The Hoops had broken the deadlock shortly before, as Benjamin Nygren finished off a well-orchestrated move that was well deserved.
Aberdeen defender Dylan Lobban then brought Maeda down as he was charging through on goal, with referee David Dickinson giving him his marching orders.
Former referee Dermot Gallagher gave his verdict on Sky Sports Ref Watch.
He said:
“He didn’t see Maeda coming, did he? [Lobban] is dwelling. If you look, the ball comes across, Maeda nips in and gets it, [the defender] panics and just holds him down there.
“He’s waiting for the ball to come to him. Red card.”
Former striker Jay Bothroyd echoed Gallagher’s verdict. He added:
“None of his teammates are going to say, ‘you were unlucky there’. If [Maeda] could stay on his feet, he would’ve.”
A pretty straightforward decision was reached. Lobban gave the referee a decision to make and paid the price.
Nancy’s side continued to push for a second goal, but it was the Dons who found an equaliser in the 74th minute.
From then on, it was a nervy wait as the champions saw opportunities go begging.
Kieran Tierney headed home two minutes from normal time to all but ensure the three points, then James Forrest struck to give them a 3-1 win.
The relief on Wilfried Nancy’s face was clear to see. Celtic dominated the game, hit the woodwork several times and forced Aberdeen’s goalkeeper into making some good saves.
For a moment, it looked like more dropped points were coming. But the Hoops continued to mount the pressure and were rewarded for their efforts.
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