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Late VAR penalty denies Hearts

Hearts head coach Derek McInnes says his side are "up against everybody" after a "disgusting" 99th-minute penalty winner for Celtic ensured the Scottish Premiership title race would go to a final-day decider on Saturday.

With league leaders Hearts cruising to a 3-0 win over Falkirk, the concession of a late equaliser at Motherwell looked like leaving Celtic three points back before Hearts go to Glasgow on Saturday. However, deep into injury time, video assistant referee (VAR) Andrew Dallas called referee John Beaton to the pitchside monitor after Motherwell's Sam Nicholson challenged for a high ball.

Replays seemed to show the ball hitting Nicholson's head, rather than his raised hand, but Beaton awarded a spot-kick which Kelechi Iheanacho converted to snatch a 3-2 win.

Former England striker Gary Lineker wrote on X that it "might be the worst VAR decision I've seen... extraordinary given the significance" and McInnes fumed at the call afterwards.

Draw at Celtic Park will earn Hearts title after Falkirk draw

Controversial 99th-minute penalty keeps Celtic's title hopes alive

"When you heard Celtic had a 96th-minute penalty going to VAR, you just assume they get it," the incandescent Hearts head coach told Sky Sports. "It's disgusting. We're up against it, we're up against everybody. I don't think it's a penalty. It's so poor and it looks as though [Celtic] have been given it. They have been very fortunate."

Had Celtic dropped points, Hearts could have afforded to lose by two goals at Celtic Park on Saturday and still be crowned champions for the first time since 1960. Now, though, they must avoid defeat if they are to become the first side outside Celtic or Rangers to win the Scottish top flight in four decades.

"It's going to the last game. We're delighted to be part of it," McInnes added. "To do it, we're going to have to go and get a positive result. I'm looking forward to it already, there'll be no feeling sorry for ourselves. What a game it's going to be."

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McInnes on late Celtic penalty

The handball law is confusing at the best of times, but one factor has always outweighed any other. If the arm is above shoulder height, a player is considered to be taking a massive risk and there is a much greater chance of being penalised.

As Nicholson found out on Wednesday, if the VAR thinks the ball has touched his hand or arm at head height, then it is likely to be given as a penalty. Some will argue that the arm was in that position only because he was in a duel with Celtic's Auston Trusty, but that would carry minimal weight.

But there is one big problem. Can we be certain it did hit the arm at all? And if there is doubt, how could it be a clear and obvious error for the VAR to tell the referee he should award a match-winning penalty?

The way the ball flew back out of play for a throw-in had to suggest it came off Nicholson's head, so the VAR must think it came off his hand at the same time too. It just seems exceptionally harsh to punish this with a penalty as the ball brushing the arm had no material effect on where the ball ended up. That was all about the power generated by the head.

The angles shown to referee John Beaton at the monitor looked far from conclusive, yet he only needed 20 seconds to make his decision. The VAR, Andrew Dallas, must have spoken with great certainty. But it leaves a sour taste at a crucial moment in the title race. Suddenly, it is tilted into Celtic's favour thanks to a questionable, stoppage-time VAR intervention.

While McInnes was enraged, Motherwell counterpart Jen Berthel Askou was bemused at the award against his team. "The big question is what are we even doing here," the Dane said when asked about the incident. "I'm in total shock. I thought I had seen it all this year, but apparently I haven't. It's shocking and it's a shame for the game.

"Seeing the footage, I can't see any way that can be a penalty. I can't see it touch his hand and, even if it has, it's because his arm has been pushed into it. It's a crazy thing to be part of and the game deserved better than that."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Celtic manager Martin O'Neill didn't agree with their assessment. "I have seen it back very, very briefly... it's a handball," he said. "It looks as if it's also an elbow to the side of the head as well. VAR have asked the referee to come over and he had no hesitation in giving the penalty."

Referee John Beaton was sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR Andrew Dallas