Kris Boyd was left baffled after Nicolas Kuhn avoided a second yellow card following his exuberant celebration in Celtic’s 2-1 victory over Ross County.
Kuhn’s late winner kept Celtic’s perfect start to the Scottish Premiership campaign intact, but it was his reaction after the goal that caught Boyd’s attention.
After Alistair Johnston’s deflected effort cancelled out Ronan Hale’s first-half penalty, Kuhn curled a beautiful shot into the far corner of the net to seal all three points for Celtic.
The German winger then rushed into the away end to celebrate with the travelling supporters, sparking wild scenes in Dingwall.
However, Kuhn had already been booked earlier in the match by referee Kevin Clancy, and many expected him to be sent off for the celebration, which is typically punishable with a yellow card.
But Clancy kept his cards in his pocket, allowing Kuhn to stay on the pitch, much to the confusion of Boyd.
Speaking on Sky Sports immediately after the match, the former Rangers striker was quick to point out the inconsistency.
“Take nothing away from Celtic, it’s a fantastic finish from Nicolas Kuhn,” Boyd said.
“But, obviously you can just run into the crowd and celebrate and nothing happens.”
The post-match discussion soon turned to Kuhn himself, who was asked about the incident during his interview.
When questioned about whether he was aware of his previous booking, Kuhn appeared unaware of any wrongdoing.
“I didn’t even know I had a booking. I don’t know what it was for. I didn’t think I did something,” he explained.
Back in the studio, Boyd wasn’t buying Kuhn’s response.
“The rules must have changed,” he remarked sarcastically.
“I thought you got booked if you go into the crowd.”
Fellow pundit James McFadden, however, pointed to the unique geography of Ross County’s stadium as a mitigating factor.
“I know it’s the rules, but it’s very hard when it’s three or four yards to stop yourself and go, ‘I’m not gonna celebrate,’” McFadden said.
Boyd, unconvinced, responded with a blunt “Alright…”
The incident highlighted the fine margins in football, but for Celtic, the focus remained on another important win to extend their dominance at the top of the table.