Former referee Des Roache has criticised Nick Walsh’s decision to award Rangers a penalty during Celtic’s 3-1 extra-time victory at Hampden, describing the call as completely wrong.
The incident left many questioning what more Ralston could have done to avoid contact. The Celtic defender appeared to be falling to the ground and had his arms tucked close to his body when a Rangers shot struck him from close range. VAR reviewed the incident but upheld the original on-field decision, a call that swung momentum briefly in Rangers’ favour before Celtic reasserted control in extra time.
Roache said he could not understand how the handball met the criteria for a penalty under the laws of the game. He argued that Ralston made no deliberate movement towards the ball and was clearly doing his best to avoid handling it. The former official, now a regular pundit on refereeing matters, insisted that intent must remain central to any handball decision.
Roache gave his detailed assessment of the incident and why he believes Walsh and the VAR team got it wrong.
He said: (HOTLINE LIVE), “Who’s to say Schmeichel wouldn’t have saved it, or that the shot wouldn’t have gone off target? Ralston’s done nothing to intentionally stop that ball going towards goal.
”The word we should always use for handball is ‘intentional.’ Did Anthony Ralston intentionally stop the ball? No, he didn’t. Everything he did was legitimate within the laws of the game.
”I don’t think it was a penalty — it’s probably the best example you’ll see of a defender trying not to use his arms.”
Roache’s comments add to growing frustration over the consistency of handball decisions in Scottish football. His argument highlights a wider debate about the interpretation of the law, particularly when a player is falling or making a natural movement. He believes referees and VAR officials are too often penalising defenders for situations where intent is absent and the contact unavoidable.
For Celtic, the decision could have proven costly. The penalty allowed Rangers to level the tie and build momentum heading into the final stages of normal time. Fortunately for Martin O’Neill’s side, Callum McGregor’s extra-time strike and Callum Osmand’s late finish ensured the controversial call did not define the outcome.
Roache’s intervention will resonate with supporters who felt hard done by at the time. His stance reinforces the view that Walsh applied the law too harshly and that Ralston was unfairly punished for what looked a natural reaction while falling.
In the aftermath, many have called for clearer guidance from the Scottish FA and IFAB on how “intentional” should be judged within modern VAR protocol. As Roache pointed out, incidents like this risk turning the law into guesswork, and for defenders like Ralston, it becomes almost impossible to play naturally without fear of punishment.
VAR clearly chose to ignore the fact that Miovski had pushed Tony over so it should have been a foul to us. Walsh, McLean and Dallas made sure that was ignored.
I’m starting to think the SFA are a tad biased in matches involving Celtic….🤔
They always have been, no way was that a penalty for one he was tripped up or wouldn’t have went down, and arm was close and well tucked in at his side. Dallas has always been ante Celtic but hey karma payed off and we ended up gubbing them.
Never a penalty in a month of Sundays