SFA panel deliver verdict on Rangers penalty appeal and whether Celtic equaliser should have stood

The Scottish Football Assocation's Key Match Incident Panel has delivered its verdict on Rangers' penalty appeal in last Sunday's 1-1 draw with Celtic at Ibrox.

Rangers claimed for a spot kick when substitute Ianis Hagi went down under a challenge from Celtic captain Callum McGregor 10 minutes before the end of the Old Firm clash.

Both players reached for the ball after Nicolas Raskin's effort was blocked, with Hagi going to ground as McGregor got his body between the Romanian international and the ball. Referee Nick Walsh waved away the home appeals while Andrew Dallas on VAR saw no reason to request an onfield review.

Celtic's Callum McGregor challenges Rangers' Ianis Hagi in the box in the 80th minute of Sunday's Old Firm clash at Ibrox. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Barry Ferguson, the interim Rangers head coach, felt that his side should have been given a chance to take a 2-1 lead from 12 yards. "If that's in the middle of the pitch, it's a foul," Ferguson said. "But it was in the box, and it wasn't given as a foul. I just need to move on quickly because I don't want to start saying things that are going to get me in trouble."

Celtic skipper McGregor offered a different interpretation of the incident. "It was probably a foul against me if anything," he said. "You get your body in - you've got to try and stop them from scoring. It's not a foul. He kicks me if anything. So, nah, no chance."

The KMI Panel, made up of five representatives from within Scottish football which meets weekly to analyse key refereeing and VAR decisions from the previous round of William Hill Premiership fixtures, sided with the officials by determining that the correct outcome was reached. "The on-field decision was unanimously supported," the report stated.

The panel also gave universally backing to two major VAR interventions relating to offside in the same match. Nicolas Raskin thought he had given Rangers an early lead only to see his header correctly ruled out for offside following a VAR check. Celtic striker Adam Idah then saw his second-half equaliser initially disallowed for an offside flag against Daizen Maeda only for VAR to award the goal after deeming that the Japanese was not interfering with play. Idah’s effort cancelled out Cyriel Dessers’ opener for Rangers on the stroke of half-time.

"The panel unanimously agreed that the on-field offside decision was incorrect," the report stated with reference to Idah’s strike. "The panel highlighted VAR was correct to intervene and award the goal."

The Irish striker failed to set up Forrest and missed a good chance in a wretched first half, but redeemed himself with the leveller. Never stopped showing for the ball. 6 | SNS Group

Aberdeen handball decision

Elsewhere, the decision to disallow an Aberdeen goal in their 1-0 defeat at St Mirren was also supported by the KMI Panel. The Dons had a goal ruled out in the 25th minute which would have put them a goal ahead when Jeppe Okkels volleyed in from 10 yards at the back post after the ball had struck Kevin Nisbet's arm in the build-up.

Former English top flight referee Dermot Gallagher said he was "surprised it was disallowed" when analysing the incident for Sky Sports Ref Watch during the week.

However, the KMI panel backed the decision, with the report stating: "The panel discussed this decision at length with the majority (4:1) of the panel agreed that VAR was correct to intervene and recommend an OFR for a possible handball and to disallow the goal. One panel member felt the onfield decision was correct and a VAR intervention should not have taken place."

In total, nine incidents from the Premiership fixture card on May 3-4 were reviewed with the panel determining that no incorrect outcomes were reached.