For once Celtic fans had no complaints about a match official following the 6-0 win over St Mirren.
Bobby Madden, Ewan Anderson and John Beaton had left a lot to be desired in the opening domestic matches with a willingness to let the game flow while turning a blind eye to some treatment being dished out.
Alan Power must have noted the relaxed attitude to discipline when he viewed the opportunity to put down a marker on David Turnbull.
St Mirren down to 10. Shocking challenge. Studs showing. Could’ve been a lot worse pic.twitter.com/lut8PbozJY
— Tim Trivia (@TriviaTim) August 21, 2021
The former Kilmarnock man had plenty of time to size up his challenge, Turnbull neatly tucked the ball inside when the lunge came in with a snap of the right foot for extra impact.
Contact was made, Turnbull felt it but fortunately his foot was off the ground or serious damage could have been inflicted.
Power didn’t make any apology or show interest in his injured opponent, as he walked away Willie Collum reached for red and the visitors were down to 10 men.
It is very unusual for a Scottish referee to show a straight red card in the first half, players can usually bank on a yellow at worst regardless of the severity of the foul.
Whether Collum has set a precedent remains to be seen but after recent refereeing performances it was good to see the laws of the game being applied consistently throughout the 90 minutes.
