ALEX’S ANGLE: BEATON + VAR = RED CARD FOR CELTIC

AUSTON TRUSTY became the first Celtic player to be red-carded in 86 domestic games when he was dismissed at Tynecastle on Sunday.

Intriguingly, the previous Hoops performer to be banished was Yang Hyun-jun at the same venue in March 2024.

Both Trusty and Yang were yellow-carded in occurrences just under two years apart. On both occasions, the match official was instructed to review the incidents by VAR. On both occasions, the referee returned to the field to brandish a red card at the ‘culprits’ in green and white.

John Beaton was the man in charge of the controls back in Glasgow who believed the Yang and Trusty episodes were worthy of a second look.

Coincidence? Hmmmmm.

OFF…Yang Hyun-jun looks bewildered as referee Don Robertson flashes a red card in March 2024.

I am not going to waste my time or yours by digging through the catalogue of controversial decisions made by this individual when he has actually been bestowed the silver whistle during games involving the champions.

I think it’s fair to say that neither you nor I require any more depressing news than we are already enduring in a fairly cyclonic campaign.

However, let’s travel back in time to a March 3 afternoon in 2024 in the capital and have a look at the Yang dismissal. The game had only gone 14 minutes when referee Don Robertson booked the South Korean following a high boot with Hearts’ Alex Cochrane in proximity.

Yang attempted to bring down an awkward ball, but there was no question of his boot making any sort of contact with his immediate opponent. The manoeuvre may have been deemed “dangerous play” by Robertson, but that, too, could have been debated.

Beaton decided it required a further review. For the player to receive a straight red card the action would have to be adjudged as “serious foul play” and endangering the safety of an opponent while involving “excessive force”.

Preposterously, the match official looked again at the moment, returned to rescind the yellow card and dismissed a fairly astounded Yang. The Celtic winger was not alone in his bewilderment.

OFF…Auston Trusty heads for the dressing room as Martin O’Neill ponders his next move.

The champions lost 2-0 that day and Brendan Rodgers copped a two-game touchline ban – one suspended – after questioning the competence of Robertson and Beaton.

And here we are today. Martin O’Neill stopped short of bringing the adequacies of Steven McLean and Beaton into question, but he did manage to get his point across that he didn’t quite see eye to eye with the officials in their collaboration before ejecting Trusty from the field in the 74th minute.

No-one is disputing there was contact between the defender and striker Landry Kbore. Trusty, after his heroics in the 2-2 draw with Bologna three days earlier, was struggling big-style in Edinburgh and had already been bailed out by Kasper Schmeichel following a mishit passback that forced the keeper into a superb save from Alexandros Kyziridis.

At the flashpoint moment, the USA international was slow to react to a straightforward through ball and allowed his opponent to put him under pressure. There is an initial hand across the Hearts player’s chest, but nothing with the force that could have propelled the forward to the turf in such a theatrical manner.

A booking? Fair enough. But, no, the man in front of the multi screens was not entirely convinced a yellow card fitted the crime.

While we are it, the home players did not do themselves any favours as they screeched like deranged banshees for the Celt to be ordered off. It looked almost choreographed as they held their head in their hands as though personal disaster had befallen them. Maybe their homes being burned to the ground? The missus running off with the neighbour and taking the dog with her.

BIG MOUTH…Hearts’ Alexandros Kyziridis has something to say as Steven McLean books Auston Trusty.

McLean’s ears were under siege as the screams intensified before Beaton’s timely intervention and an almost-relieved referee headed for the touchline monitor. He had barely stepped foot back on the field when he pulled the red card from his pocket.

I’ve heard and read daft remarks from people who should know a lot better about Kbore being denied an “obvious goalscoring opportunity”. Maybe if the player, who arrived at Tynecastle in the summer for a fee around the £150,000 mark, had been blessed with the skills of a Pele or a Maradona or a Messi in their prime could it have been remotely described as “obvious”.

Please remember this is a player who has scored only two goals in 13 appearances this season. Not exactly Ballon d’Or or Roy of the Rovers stuff.

It may be offered that Trusty was not the last man and Dane Murray was in the vicinity. That doesn’t mean a thing.

It’s the word “obvious” that matters here and by no stretch of anyone’s imagination could anyone swallow that argument.

There was no need for Beaton to get involved; the onfield decision by McLean was quite correct. Did you detect “a clear and obvious error”? No, me neither.

Good luck to Celtic with their appeal against the red card. I’m not holding my breath.

QUICK QUESTION: Joe Hart was sent off just once in his 21-year playing career. Who was the referee who flashed a red card to spoil an otherwise unblemished record? Go to the top of the class if you answered John Beaton.

ALEX GORDON