Michael Stewart and Stephen Craigan have weighed in on the penalty controversy that arose during Celtic’s clash with Hearts, which saw the visitors denied a spot-kick at Parkhead.
Hearts boss Steven Naismith was left frustrated after a first-half incident where Liam Scales appeared to handle the ball in his own box, only for the referee’s initial decision to award a penalty to be overturned by VAR.
The flashpoint occurred when Scales blocked a cross with his arm, prompting referee Colin Steven to point to the spot.
However, after a lengthy VAR review, the decision was reversed, with the officials determining that the ball had struck Scales high enough on his arm to not warrant a penalty.
In the second half, a separate incident added to the drama when Nicolas Kuhn’s cross struck the arm of Livingston’s James Penrice, resulting in a spot-kick which was duly converted by Arne Engels, marking his first goal for the club.
The contrasting decisions infuriated Naismith, but both Stewart and Craigan argued that the calls were ultimately correct, even though Scales may have been fortunate.
Speaking on the BBC, Stewart explained:
“I can completely understand where the Hearts manager is coming from. But the difference was that it probably hits Liam Scales far enough up the arm that it negates anything else. It hits his shoulder, so it’s not a penalty regardless of all the rest of it.”
Stewart acknowledged Hearts’ frustrations but pointed out that the key difference between the two incidents lay in the positioning of the players’ arms.
He continued: “Penrice, the comparison that Allan Preston was talking about with Connor Barron – Barron’s arm was really tight in against his chest. Penrice’s is not.
“Look, it’s a sore one and tough one from a Hearts perspective. It’s completely understandable that you are going to try and draw comparisons. But the difference was that it hits Scales on the shoulder and it hits Penrice flush on the hand.”
Craigan echoed Stewart’s assessment, but emphasised the confusion over the time taken to make the decision.
“Initially we thought it was a penalty kick (to Hearts), but there was a lot of frustration around the length of time it has taken – I think – to get to the right call. I don’t mind the length of time as long as the decision is spot on.
“It was so close and precise, it’s boiled down to it hitting the upper arm or t-shirt line of Liam Scales. He doesn’t know that. He knows absolutely nothing about that.”
Craigan added further context, explaining why the referee had to take a second look at the incident.
“It’s a factual decision. Supporters will be thinking, surely, ‘factual decisions, why does the referee have to go look at it?’ Factual decisions for handballs only count for goals, not for penalty kicks. That is why Colin Steven had to go and have a look. That is the protocol, that is what he has to follow.”
Despite the controversy, Craigan concluded that the correct call was made: “I have to say Liam Scales is a lucky boy. His hand was up, so I think he was a little bit lucky. But ultimately, the right call was made – it hit the upper arm.”