Neil Lennon has called out Jim Goodwin over his claims about Greg Taylor.
The St Mirren boss used a penalty decision to deflect away from his side’s 4-0 midweek defeat from Celtic.
Taylor burst into the Saints box when he tussled with Ryan Flynn, the Celtic defender didn’t fall to the ground but his run was checked with Don Robertson pointing to the spot.
After Odsonne Edouard netted from the penalty spot Ryan Christie and David Turnbull also found the net as Celtic turned on the style.
Saturday’s headlines had Goodwin appealing for ‘Naming and Shaming’ with Lennon standing up for his player on the back of similar claims against Albian Ajeti.
Responding to Goodwin’s claims, the Celtic boss told The Sun:
He’s out of order — well out of order. Greg didn’t dive. I’m not having other managers accusing my players of diving when it’s clearly not true.
Jim needs to rein it in a bit. It was quite clear Greg was pulled back and he was also clipped by Ryan Flynn at the top of his foot. The referee deemed it a penalty. Look, he’s gone on the wrong side of Flynn, he’s got across him.
Whether Ryan has clipped him accidentally or not, it has been enough to bring Greg down. So I don’t see where anyone can accuse him of diving. People say ‘Oh, it’s soft’. We’ve looked at it again and there are two contacts — one on his arm and one on his foot.
Whenever we get a penalty these days there is a whole controversy about it, but it is clear there was contact. It was clear for Albian Ajeti, and it was clear for Taylor. Where, all of a sudden, this emergence of diving’s coming from, I don’t know.
No action has been taken against Taylor who’ll be part of the Celtic squad at St Johnstone on Sunday. After shipping four goals to Celtic Goodwin’s defence tightened up to record a 0-0 draw at Aberdeen.