Ex-Hearts star rages at John Beaton ‘Disgrace’ as Celtic beat Motherwell

Ex-Hearts star Ryan Stevenson was furious that Celtic awarded a late penalty against Motherwell, which ensured they won 3-2 on Wednesday.

Kelechi Iheanacho converted the spot-kick to ensure that the Hoops remain within one point of Hearts going into their showdown on the final day of the Scottish Premiership season.

The penalty was awarded after a VAR check as they deemed Sam Nicholson to have handled the ball in an unnatural position.

However, many have now disagreed with his decision, as they insist that the video evidence was inconclusive.

One man who was furious with the call was former Hearts man Stevenson, as Celtic remain in the title race.

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The decision to award a penalty to Celtic could have huge ramifications.

If the match had ended 2-2 at Fir Park, Hearts would have almost certainly won the title, barring a massive defeat at Celtic Park.

Therefore, the importance in the title race to award a spot-kick cannot be understated, with Celtic arguably now the favourites to secure the trophy.

Speaking to BBC Sportsound on 13 May, Stevenson was appalled that referee John Beaton did not spend longer at the monitor to truly assess the incident in what could be the biggest decision of the season.

🟢 Here’s the incident that resulted in Celtic’s winning penalty at Fir Park, following a VAR check!

Motherwell vs Celtic & Hearts vs Falkirk reaction | Sky Sports Football now 📺 pic.twitter.com/kwFO6mOH7t

“VAR took six minutes in the recent West Ham v Arsenal game because everyone understood how big a decision it was.

“John Beaton was at the monitor for what, 20 seconds?”

Keith Hackett exclusively told Football Insider that Alistair Johnston should have been sent off in Celtic’s victory against Rangers on the weekend.

The full-back put in a reckless challenge on Mikey Moore, but a yellow card was all that was awarded for the incident.

This came after Celtic’s equaliser against the Gers should have been arguably disallowed for offside, with Jack Butland’s vision blocked.

This, combined with the recent penalty incident against Motherwell, has ensured that the title run-in has been plagued with controversy.

As a result, there is no doubt that Celtic have been fortunate with a string of decisions in recent weeks.

However, it remains to be seen if this will continue at Celtic Park on Saturday as both sides strive to win the title in what is set to be a dramatic end to the season.