Dermot Gallagher has provided reason and balance to the red card decision at Tynecastle yesterday that ruined the game for Andy Walker.
When Alex Cochrane fouled Daizen Maeda in the closing minutes of the first half Nick Walsh’s initial decision was to award a yellow card.
The Hearts defender had found himself exposed as Maeda raced in off the right wing, with Zander Clark retreating it was clearly a goal scoring opportunity.
Walsh opted for yellow, his assistant who was close to the incident kept quiet but quickly it became apparent that Willie Collum was double checking in the VAR studio.
It all seemed inevitable, Walsh went over to the monitor, the yellow card was replaced by a red with Celtic given a huge advantage with the Laws of the Game correctly applied.
For Hearts it was unfortunate, for Sky Sports neutrals the prospect of an upset was greatly reduced but the Laws are very clear on these situations as Gallagher explained on Sky Sports:
? “I think it is a red card…”
REF WATCH: Dermot Gallagher believes it was the right decision to send off Hearts defender Alex Cochrane in yesterday’s game vs Celtic ? pic.twitter.com/g0epq18yi9
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) May 8, 2023
Football Scotland reported Walker saying:
It doesn’t matter what colour the strip is. If you can keep a player on the pitch out there, why don’t you?
I don’t think, if Nick Walsh had kept the yellow card, there would have been many complaints. It’s ruined the game.
Cochrane was also sent off earlier in the season in a 2-0 defeat at Celtic Park.
I wonder why the officials decided to ref the game properly for once ? Couldn’t be a match at Ibrox coming up ?
Watching the match live, as soon as I saw the side angle I thought “that’s a red card”.
I didn’t think it would be reviewed never mind overturned.
Perhaps the question we should be asking is why is every decision that goes for Celtic classed as “controversial”.
It doesn’t get any clearer than this yet you hear pundits and commentators saying “It’s ruined the game” which is another way of saying it’s unfair to send a player off against Celtic.
I wonder if Dermot Gallagher asked to review the all in wrestling incident at Ibrox. Now that was controversial.
We don’t need Dermot gallachers approvel that it was a red card the hearts player clearly denied a goal scoring opportunity and rightfully was sent off. As for Mr andrew walker well!!!
When is this great club that we have supported all our life’s with unbroken admiration going to grow a pair and refuse entry to the likes of walker, barbour, mccann, rae, Thompson and boyd. Please just tell them that they are not welcome. If you can say one thing about the scum they take no shite when they’re handing out the hymn sheets. If your not singing from it your out or you have to pay 20 grand to get into press conferences.
Fans will always see what they want to see but people who are ex players or pundits and are paid to comment should really focus on the laws of the game before coming out with the dross that soup taker Walker came out with.
Cochrane ruined his owns teams chances by making a daft decision that must infuriate any Manager.
Why defenders run the risk of a red in these situations has always puzzled me?
Hearts were more than in the game at that point and there was still plenty time to haul a possible 1 goal deficit back at that point in the game.
So you let the player go and hope the keeper saves it or he misses.
But naw he chose to get involved (probably cause it was Maeda and he knew he had no chance catching him) and as a result got sent off.
If that was Taylor or Ralston I would be fuming at them for costing us valuable points not finger pointing at an official for doing his job and applying the rules on last man defending a clear goal scoring opportunity.
In these days of var it’s always dangerous to foul someone in and around the box, Maeda skinned him and was ready for a shot, so it’s a red all day. As for WANKER (spelt correctly) he said 10 minutes into the 2nd half that the game was ruined, he’s just a pure souptaker and hasn’t a good word to say about, even rangers fans I know have noticed this about him.