Stephen Robinson was left fuming after St Mirren were denied what he believed to be a clear penalty in their clash with Celtic, a decision that could have significant implications for their top-six aspirations…
Robinson’s frustration peaked when substitute Roland Idowu was brought down in the box following a sliding challenge from Celtic’s right-back Alistair Johnston. The incident occurred with just four minutes left in normal time, as Celtic held a narrow 3-2 lead.
Despite Celtic going on to score two more goals after the contentious moment, the St Mirren manager couldn’t hide his disappointment.
He stated: “It’s not a good claim – it’s a penalty. I don’t blame the ref as it happens quickly.
“The ball has gone in a completely different direction from where Alistair has tried to make his challenge. He’d got a little nick on the ball and then followed through and the ball’s gone in a completely different direction from the tackle.
“But it’s not given, it’s gone to VAR, and they’re reviewed it and it’s not given. There’s not a whole lot we can do about it. And they then go up the other end and score,” Robinson remarked.
The St Mirren boss continued his post-match reflections on the following page…
“So that’s our problem, that’s our fault, we can’t blame VAR for that. But at 3-2 you’re still very much in the game. The fourth official was fantastic with me. Matthew MacDermid [referee] as well, they’re waiting on VAR, they’re looking for help, that’s what we allegedly pay this money for.
“I’ll probably have a phone call on Monday morning again. But no, I don’t blame the referees. It’s a decision VAR has made, and they deem it right.”
Robinson was visibly angered by the decision, feeling it cost his side a chance to challenge the soon-to-be four-time consecutive Scottish champions.
He added: “There are a lot of key moments in the game. We had seven incredibly good chances that we didn’t take. Key moments in defending as well.”
“You need luck against top teams. But it wasn’t luck today. It was just we didn’t get the decision we should have got. It’s 3-2 and everything to play for.
“I thought we were on top of the game at that stage as well. But it wasn’t to be, when you give good teams opportunities and decisions don’t go your way, you get results like today.”
