Celtic legend Tom Boyd was left fuming after Liel Abada had a goal chopped off against Livingston when a lengthy VAR check led to an offside call.
Ange Postecoglou's men ran out narrow winners at Celtic Park after a battling performance from David Martindale's men, but in the end the Scottish Premiership leaders surged nine points clear at the top of Rangers. An own goal from Ayo Obileye gave the Hoops the opener before Kyogo Furuhashi found the net to double the advantage with Celtic in cruise control.
However, Livingston refused to give up and landed a lifeline when captain Nicky Devlin found the net just before the break instantly after the strike from the Japan cap. The Lions continued to pester the home side's defence in the second half, but Abada had looked to have netted a third for Celtic when he took advantage of a misplaced Morgan Boyes header.
The Livingston centre-back failed to control David Turnbull's chipped ball and Abada was adjudged to be offside when referee Euan Anderson was sent to the monitor after a lengthy VAR check. Celtic TV co-commentator couldn't help but unleash on the whistler as he insisted the officials are consistently getting calls wrong during Celtic games.
Boyd said: "It's whether that touch (from the Livingston defender) has played Abada on, and whether they think that's a deliberate header, right? I think the Livingston defender was going to head that ball away and has made a mess of it.
"It's fell to Abada and he has played Abada on side. I think the defender has just made a mess of it."
After a lengthy delay the goal was ruled out, and Boyd chimed in again: "What does the fourth (VAR) official know that the referee doesn't know on the field of play? What has he decided? Look it's an offside decision.
"He is either offside or he's not. What they are trying to say is it has to be a deliberate pass.
"In my opinion the Livingston defender has went for that ball and made a mess of it, right? So he has deliberately tried to play the ball.
"It's not the first time referees and VAR don't look favourably on Celtic when trying to get the right decision. They are trying to make the decision if that boy has deliberately headed that ball back, and it's the rule that he has played him on. He has tried to header that one."
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