Kris Boyd has launched a scathing attack on referee Nick Walsh and VAR official Don Robertson, insisting Celtic’s Reo Hatate should have been sent off during the Hoops’ victory over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
Brendan Rodgers’ side secured a comfortable win with goals from Callum McGregor and Nicolas Kuhn, reclaiming their place at the top of the Scottish Premiership. However, the match was overshadowed by a controversial incident involving Hatate.
The Japanese midfielder caught Killie’s Liam Donnelly high on the leg with a reckless challenge.
Walsh issued a yellow card, and after a lengthy VAR review, Robertson decided against advising the referee to revisit the incident on the pitchside monitor.
On Sky Sports, Chris Sutton suggested Hatate was fortunate to escape a harsher punishment.
“He does catch him on his shin. I think he will see red here. He’ll say he didn’t intend to do that. Was there the force? If you see where he catches him on the shin he might count himself lucky, Reo Hatate,” Sutton remarked.
Boyd was far less measured in his assessment, blasting the officials post-match.
“It’s a red card all day long. You can’t catch a player that far up the leg and say sorry. It’s just below the knee. It’s impossible not to be sent off there. So the referee gets it wrong on the pitch and Don Robertson gets it wrong in the VAR room,” Boyd fumed.
The former Rangers striker then took a dig at Celtic, claiming: “See if that was against Celtic, they would be going off their head. There will be nothing said tonight. That is a red card all day long.”
The decision will undoubtedly spark debate, with both teams now awaiting potential repercussions.