Nick Walsh had no choice but to send off Alex Cochrane after he'd seen his foul on Daizen Maeda from every angle, according to former whistler Stuart Dougal.
Cochrane saw red late in the first half for a last-man foul on Maeda as Celtic went on to win 2-0 and clinch the title at Tynecastle. It was the pivotal turning point in the game as Hearts gave good account of themselves in the first half but were unable to match Ange Postecoglou's team when reduced to ten, as the champions won it through strikes from Kyogo and Hyeongyu Oh.
Whistler Walsh initially booked left-back Cochrane but after a VAR review was recommended by Willie Collum behind the screens, Maeda was deemed to have been the last man. That sparked widespread controversy over whether it was an obvious goalscoring opportunity, given the relatively unfavourable angle with the challenge taking place on the right flank outside the box.
