Ex-Fifa official hits out at Celtic injustice as Cameron Carter-Vickers controversy analysed
Keith Hackett has insisted the decision to award Celtic a penalty for handball against Ross County star Alex Iacovitti was "more than harsh".
The ex-Fifa and Premier League referee was speaking exclusively to Football Insider in the aftermath of the Hoops' 2-0 victory over County on Sunday (2 April).
As seen in footage from Sky Sports on Twitter (3 April), Cameron Carter-Vickers' goalbound header was blocked by the arm of Iacovitti.
The incident was flagged by the VAR official and referee Willie Collum chose to give a penalty despite the close proximity of the Ross County star to the ball.
Celtic star Jota stepped up to dispatch the spot-kick in first-half stoppage time, giving Ange Postecoglou's side the lead.
The Scottish Premiership leaders went on to claim a 2-0 victory to maintain their lead over Old Firm rivals Rangers.
Hackett told Football Insider’s Ewan Kingsbury: “I think it’s very harsh.
“The arm is out – but he’s jumping, and there’s no chance of retracting it.
“I don’t think his arm was out to stop the ball passing. This is a real difficulty that referees are now facing.
“I really don’t think that can be classed as handball. I’ve said it’s harsh, but I think it’s even more than that.”
Celtic's lead over Rangers stands at nine points - with both sides having played 30 games.
The bitter rivals face off at Parkhead on Saturday (8 April) ahead of the league split later this month.