Bemused Kris Boyd admits he is struggling to see evidence to back up claims from Rangers boss Michael Beale and captain James Tavernier over a Jota 'handball'.
Both Beale and Tavernier insisted officials – referee Kevin Clancy and Nick Walsh in the VAR room – had got a big call wrong in their post match debrief, stating the Celtic winger had handled the ball in the build-up to Kyogo's second goal on derby day. Mystified Boyd admitted he was struggling to see the angle the Ibrox duo had caught the goal from post match as he backed up the men in black.
Asked if he agreed with the Jota handball, Boyd told Sky Sports: 'Well, no. I don't know what angle James Tavernier has managed to see a handball there. You can tell the way Jota reacts exactly where it has hit. Again, if I am James Tavernier I am coming out and saying more about my defending.
"I mean, Ben Davies looks and sees that it's Jota and ducks into the challenge. Ben Davies just has to go and clear it. You always go to your greats, Richard Gough went right through you and cleared it. Ben Davies has obviously tried to duck into, but with regards to the handball I have no idea where they have seen that."
However, Boyd was left frustrated by the decision to rule out Alfredo Morelos goal, after the striker was ruled out after whistler Clancy blew up for a foul on Alistair Johnston. Boyd went on: “The Jota one, they are wrong (Beale and Tavernier) but this one is a goal, I don’t care what anybody says. I mean it’s a contact sport.
"Alistair Johnston is caught under the ball and just decides to throw himself over. It’s the slightest of touches, but is it enough to make you fall over? I’m not sure. Kevin Clancy has blown his whistle and doesn’t let it play out. It’s a goal."
“They have obviously spoken to him and asked him what he saw, and it’s a slight push. But we have all played the game and you pull shorts to get away from them. You have got to give Alistair Johnston credit, it is clever play. He knows he is beat and he dives forward to ask a question of the referee.
"He has managed to come out on top of this one. I look at this one and think you would be raging, and Celtic would be the exact same if it was the other end of the pitch.
"You have got to say every time the ball comes in the box there is going to be pushes and pulls, we have got to be careful of where we are going here. I was one in terms of VAR (who said) bring it in because I thought it would help the game, but for once I think I have been wrong.”
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