Celtic salvaged a point at Dundee thanks to a late penalty converted by Arne Engels.
As the match approached its final moments, Celtic appeared to be heading for their second defeat of the season.
However, a handball by Dundee’s Mohamed Sylla offered Brendan Rodgers’ side a lifeline. Instead of leaving Tayside empty-handed, Celtic secured a share of the points.
While the referee and VAR quickly agreed that the handball decision was correct, that didn’t stop Ally McCoist from taking a cheeky dig at Celtic over the late penalty.
What Ally McCoist said about Celtic’s penalty vs Dundee:
Speaking after the match, McCoist couldn’t resist a jab at Celtic’s fortune. After Alan Brazil teased him about the growing gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, McCoist remarked:
“I couldn’t believe it. Celtic got a penalty in the 95th minute. That doesn’t happen very often, does it?
“Me and the wee man were coming home from Chelsea and he says, ‘How long to go at Dundee?’ and I said, ‘It’s 92 minutes’.
“He said, ‘It will be two minutes to the penalty’ and he got it spot on, to be fair. Spot on.”
Despite McCoist’s sarcasm, the decision to award the penalty was backed by former referee Dermot Gallagher, who emphasized its correctness.
Dermot Gallagher praises ‘totally consistent’ award of Celtic penalty vs Dundee:
Gallagher weighed in on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, saying, “You see there, his arm’s up, it’s high and it hits him. I think it’s a penalty anyhow under the criteria.
“But what I would say is in the Scottish league we have seen every one like this given. They are absolutely totally consistent on it. I think that one would have been given anywhere if you put your arm up like that.
“They have been really hard and fast on this. It doesn’t matter whether they are tougher as long as they are consistent, so every team gets the same.
“I think their tolerance level on handball is slightly lower. But what you would say is their tolerance level is across the board. People don’t mind that as long as they know what they are getting for their money.”
The narrative around Celtic penalties:
While some fans continue to push the idea that Celtic benefit disproportionately from penalty decisions, 67 Hail Hail recently defended the consistency of officiating in these cases. As Gallagher noted, consistent standards are key to keeping fans satisfied—although not everyone will agree.
For Celtic, the draw at Dundee may have been frustrating, but the penalty decision was a fair one, ensuring the Hoops left Dens Park with at least a point to show for their efforts.