Matt O'Riley has revealed referee Don Robertson told him he probably should have had a foul in the build-up to Celtic’s Hampden winner.
But the Parkhead ace was happy to let it slide after seeing Jota subsequently send his team into the Scottish Cup Final. O’Riley had a massive input in the Portuguese’s headed strike that brought a semi-final win over Rangers at the National Stadium. The midfielder was heading towards the penalty box when he was halted by a challenge from covering Ibrox ace Nicolas Raskin.
Robertson didn’t blow his whistle for a free-kick at the incident. But, as the Belgian and some of his Rangers team-mates stopped and froze, the alert Daizen Maeda pounced to collect possession again for Celtic and deliver a cross to the far post which colleague Jota buried to seal the semi. O’Riley said: “It was definitely a foul, but sometimes you have just got to be grateful! To be fair, I was screaming for it.