A Celtic star was caught up in unsavoury scenes as his side were involved in a thrilling, but chaotic, match.
Colby Donovan started in Baku as Scotland Under-21s’ 3-3 draw with Azerbaijan ended in ugly scenes, with two red cards, a full-time brawl, and a furious post-match response from head coach Scott Gemmill.
Donovan started for the young Scots, lining up alongside Matthew Anderson, who left Celtic earlier this year in search of first-team football. While the game itself was dramatic enough, with Azerbaijan twice coming from behind and scoring late to snatch a point, the real controversy came after the final whistle.
Kyle Ure was holding back Colby Donovan, while Ben McPherson, on loan at Partick Thistle, was amongst it all.
Players and staff from both sides clashed in a melee that turned physical, with Azerbaijan’s two-goal hero Khayal Aliyev reportedly sent off in the tunnel after the dust settled.
Gemmill did not hold back in his assessment of the officiating, confirming:
We’re definitely not happy with the officials and we will be making an official complaint via the delegate.
“But of course that won’t help us over the result. It was difficult to accept.”
The gaffer, who has been in his post for nine years, continued to SunSport: “Sadly, I think what happened in the end was very predictable. I knew it was going to happen.”
The result leaves Scotland’s U21s needing to regroup as they continue their qualification campaign.
For Celtic’s Donovan, the night will be a steep learning curve as he continues his development on the international stage, but one he and his teammates likely won’t forget anytime soon.
He returns to Lennoxtown, where Alistair Johnston has returned to training and looks to build up his fitness with a huge run of games on the horizon.
