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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
David Irvine

Ange Postecoglou refuses to wade into Celtic VAR offside call debate

Ange Postecoglou refused to be drawn on the decision to rule out Liel Abada's strike for Celtic after a legnthy VAR review.

The winger fired home after a through ball had flicked off the head of Morgan Boyes.

Abada was adjudged to have been in an offside position with Boyes' touch not enough to convince referee that the goal should stand.

Euan Anderson had initially awarded the goal before being called to check the pitchside monitor before chopping off the goal.

Asked if he had watched the incident back after the match, Postecoglou commented: "No. There’s no point doing that."

But he then added: "I didn’t realise offside was something the referee gets sent to the monitor for."

Speaking to Celtic TV, the Parkhead boss continued to shrug off the incident as he looked to move on from the hotly-debated decision.

"Nah, I won't be," he said when asked if he'd assess or analyse the decision.

"I said a few weeks ago I wouldn't talk about VAR anymore. 

"They made the decision and we need to take it."

David Martindale, however, backed Anderson's decision to rule out the goal.

He said: "I thought it was offside. He made a movement and big Morgan stumbled slightly. I thought it was right.

"The referee reffed the game there and had the option to look at the monitor to let him make that decision.

"VAR assisted the referee to referee the game and for me he came out the right side."

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