Celtic victims of injustice as Kyogo Furuhashi footage emerges – pundit
Alan Hutton has claimed Celtic were unlucky not to receive a penalty against Dundee United on Sunday (29 January).
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Rangers defender said the only reason the Hoops were not awarded a penalty for Mark Birighitti’s challenge on Kyogo Furuhashi was because the keeper got a touch on the ball.
As seen in footage shared by the SPFL (30 January), Kyogo gets caught by the Dundee United goalkeeper as he punches the ball away from the Celtic striker.
The Japan international ends up sandwiched between the stopper and defender.
Although referee Don Robertson initially awarded a spot kick to the Hoops, VAR official Euan Anderson instructed the ref to have another look at the incident and the decision was overturned.
Hutton suggested Birighitti was fortunate not to give away a penalty.
“Possibly a little bit lucky,” he told Football Insider.
“I think he does get the ball first and that is why the penalty is not given. I think the goalkeepers tend to get those sorts of decisions. The referee is on their side more often than not.
“Kyogo is kind of the meat in the sandwich a little bit, he gets caught between the two. I think the only reason it is not a penalty is because he does get a touch on the ball.
“Obviously the follow through is always going to happen. I do agree with the decision but I understand why people are not happy because there is a little bit of force behind it and he gets stuck in the middle.
“Luckily for the goalkeeper he got a touch.“
In other news, a Celtic expert is appalled by ‘terrible’ SFA after what he saw in person – ‘it’s a disgrace’.