ST JOHNSTONE manager Tommy Wright claimed last night that referee Craig Thomson “couldn’t wait” to award league leaders Celtic a penalty during yesterday’s Ladbrokes Premiership match between the sides at McDiarmid Park.
Wright was incensed that Thomson had pointed to the spot after ruling that Keith Watson had handled the ball following Kieran Tierney’s cross into the home penalty area. The incident occurred in the 60th minute, with Celtic trailing 2-1.
Moussa Dembele, who had just replaced Gary Mackay-Steven, converted the penalty to pull his side level and then scored twice more to help secure an emphatic 5-2 victory for the Parkhead side in Perth.
However, in an outburst that is sure to result in SFA compliance officer Tony McGlennan issuing a notice of complaint, an irate Wright gave a scathing assessment of Thomson’s decision to give the penalty, as well as the official’s overall performance.
Wright also insisted his team should have been awarded two penalties of their own in the second half, first when Scott Brown brought down Danny Swanson and then when Dedryck Boyata wrestled Joe Shaughnessy to the ground.
Asked about the incident which allowed Celtic to draw level, Wright said: “I am not going to sit on the fence and give you PC. It’s not a penalty. If I live to 100 it should never be a penalty. Never.
“It is beyond me and any reasonable person, how he can be 100 per cent sure that’s a penalty. He couldn’t wait to give the penalty. The ball hit his hip and – you couldn’t tell at the time – it does touch his elbow, but it’s tucked in.
“You can’t see that until you see the camera angle from behind the goal, so how can he give it? He has to be 100 per cent and it’s a game-changer.
“If Celtic go on to win without that decision then fair enough. They did bring a £40 million striker off the bench. But that decision, for me, totally changed the whole dynamic of the game. It gave Celtic a massive lift and knocked the stuffing out of us.
“We all make mistakes, but there are mistakes and there are glaring mistakes. Danny Swanson’s was a penalty. Brown didn’t get anything on the ball.
“Joe Shaughnessy, the ball is in flight, [Thomson] blows up, [Shaughnessy] is dragged to the ground, [Thomson] warns the Celtic player [Boyata]. That’s a penalty as well. You don’t go and warn players.
“There have been three teams out there today. I thought Celtic were excellent, I thought we were excellent – but the other team [Thomson] was poor and let my players down.”
Brendan Rodgers – whose Celtic team extended their record-breaking unbeaten domestic run to 29 games, stretching their lead at the top of the Premiership to 27 points – admitted he could understand the frustration felt by the St Johnstone manager.
However, he disagreed with Wright over the Swanson incident. “If I was Tommy, I would be disappointed,” Rodgers said. “But I didn’t think it was a penalty. He [Brown] protected the ball quite well.”
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