At half time with the home players booed off the park Philippe Clement was in need of a decisive performance, a hero to emerge to turn the course of the Glasgow Derby.
Seven minutes into the second half the man that Celtic fans feared made the decisive move, the one that turned the match towards the home side.
Fabio Silva had already been turning on the amateur dramatics during the first half with John Beaton booking Alistair Johnston, Nicolas Kuhn and Matt O’Riley while the home players had licence to do as they please.
Instinct told Beaton that Silva had dived, he produced a yellow card for simulation then got prompted by Nick Walsh to look again. Walsh is in full-time employment at Boclair Academy, the educational home of Murray Park starlets.
A penalty was awarded, James Tavernier scored and it was game on.
We got sloppy in the 2nd half and they got a penalty for the cheating dive of Silva. Beaton in his element there. From a winning position we ended up with no harm done. Celtic Park will be rocking against them with a fully fit McGregor. Cantwell being the knob again at the end ?
— Matt McGlone (@MattMcGlone9) April 7, 2024
For the remainder of the game every contact from a Celtic player was penalised by a free kick. The pressure eventually paid off with the match finishing 3-3.
From 46% possession Celtic had 23 fouls awarded against them with just 10 awarded against Philippe Clement’s side.
Matt, the game was a dead rubber until cheating penalty, it was there for celtic to play about and pick them off. That Referee is a disgrace. All talk about rest of game is insignificant IMO as that was huge turning point of corruption.
— @choccy (@Choccy07Joe) April 7, 2024
Should be out of sight. Beaton is an absolute disgrace. Only thing he gave us was directed by VAR and he couldn’t avoid it ?
— bhoysofcroydon (@BhoysofCroydon) April 7, 2024
Ultimately we made too many mistakes to win that.
The biggest one was allowing Beaton to be appointed referee. The most bias refereeing performance in a decade, the highlight of which was incorrectly awarding a penalty, despite being shown AJ getting the ball.
— ? Gastro Celtic ? (@Gastro_Celtic) April 7, 2024
Totally changed the game
— Neo (@DobstarOrignal) April 7, 2024
Although despite his most influential performance
We win at Celtic Park and win the title and get it up them
The best Beaton could do was get them a draw
A draw is a good result for us
But it’s cheating at the highest level
— Celtic Trends ???? (@Celtic_Trends) April 7, 2024
Beaton handed them a lifeline with the non foul award of the penalty, that’s what turned this game. No other team gets the help they get, too many cunts in the media refuse to acknowledge this
— frank’n’stan ??????? ? (@celticbhoy73) April 7, 2024
Exactly…game was going nowhere for them. Also as a lot happened in the game pundits will gloss over the importance of that decision.
— Suddy (@Mowgli__09) April 7, 2024
The game was completely dead until cheating Penalty…. disgusting levels of corruption.
— @choccy (@Choccy07Joe) April 7, 2024
Beaton.
Cheating Bastard. pic.twitter.com/kBQ9wvsHaD
— Billybhoy999 (@billybhoy999) April 7, 2024
I’m shocked. Celtic awarded a penalty at Ibrox. I’m not shocked the usual Tavpen to Sevco. Had we have taken our chances in the first half we’d have been home and hosed. Win the remaining 6 matches and Celtic are champions. C’mon the hoops.
Still couldnt beat us.
We will kick on now.cmon the Celtic.???
We will have to kick on and kick on big time Patrick as The Cheats with Whistles, Flags and Monitors will still have plenty of negative damage to do to Celtic !
Waffling Clement comes out the hero?
Johnston gets a touch on the ball to avoid giving a penalty away.
Only available in Scotland , where a defeat becomes a draw .We definitely let them away with one today.
The Littler and Larger of Scottish football!
Just shows it’s not what you know but who you know in Little Scotland.
We had to be too good to beat the cheats that we went all the way to be the Best Team in Europe!
Beaton must be a World Record Holder for the least ammount of time it takes to get out a Yellow Card – when he books a Celtic Player!
Lol hurry up and sell out Parkhead for the remainder of the season 60,000 plus mugs buying into a rigged game.
As I said before fuck off to the wresting if that’s what you want to watch and be entertained knowing who the winner is going to be before a ball is kicked.
You all sat back from the Hearts game when Beaton was causing havoc that day,now this is the consequences of it.
We only have ourselves to blame.