FURIOUS Morton manager Dougie Imrie says that VAR killed any hope of his team pulling off a giant-killing at Celtic Park, as he slammed the decision to award a penalty to the home side for an apparent handball by Efe Ambrose.
Morton had started the game brightly, but Celtic were gifted an opportunity to open the scoring as the ball cannoned off Ambrose’s arm from close range after a Liel Abada shot had ricocheted off of Jack Baird.
There was nothing the defender could have done to avoid the contact, and as his arm was down by his side, Imrie firmly believes that the penalty should never have been awarded. After a lengthy VAR check though, referee Kevin Clancy pointed to the spot, and Celtic went on to run out easy winners.
“I thought we did really well in the first 15 minutes,” Imrie said.
“We had some good opportunities but didn’t take them. Then good old VAR kills the game.
“I don’t know where Efe is supposed to put his hand. It took a deflection but that’s what we need to live with when it comes to VAR.
“It seems to be every week. I remember watching a game at Tynecastle and it took six minutes to make a decision. It’s killing the fluidity of the game. It must be brutal for players. Certainly, I wouldn’t have wanted to play with it. It takes so long for decisions to be made.
“That’s the third game in a row we’ve had a penalty given against us. You never get a call from the people above to say: “Look, we apologise”.
“Listen, it is what it is. We let ourselves down with conceding a goal so soon after the penalty. [But] there needs to be a clear message as to what is and isn’t a penalty going forward.”
