There were some shocking refereeing decisions over the weekend, and they clearly benefitted Celtic’s title rivals

On Saturday afternoon, for quite a while, it looked like one of Celtic’s main title rivals would drop points for the second week running.

In the 86th minute of normal time, Hearts were being held to a 1-1 draw against Motherwell.

But then, it one of the most blatant displays of simulation I’ve seen in a long time, Pierre Landry Kabore rolled around in the penalty box like he’d been shot after a tap in the head from Stephen Welsh’s boot as he attempted to clear the ball.

Post mortems on the incident since Saturday have completely exonerated Welsh from any wrong doing.

In fact, former referees Des Roache and Steve Conroy stated that Kabore was the player at fault.

Here is how it was described on The Refs Account on X:

Not a penalty. Hearts player has endangered himself with trying to head the ball in the box, the defender is trying to clear the ball which he is entitled to do. Absolutely unfair for him [Welsh] to be punished for that.

In reality, it was a strange decision.

With increasing pressure on referees to cave to the demands of players in a hotly contested title race, this penalty decision could prove crucial to Hearts’ title aspirations.

The Tynecastle side were on course to drop another 2 points, which would have blown the title race wide open.

Instead, the momentum from scoring that penalty drove them on, and they got a 3rd, which resulted in them winning the game comfortably in the end.

It was anything but comfortable for them up until the 87th minute.

Had that decision not gone their way, Celtic would have moved to within a point of Hearts.

As referees come under more intense pressure after the split, are we going to see more ridiculous decisions like this one?

There was more of the same on Sunday at the Falkirk Stadium.

Two particular incidents stood out like a sore thumb.

With Falkirk leading the Ibrox side by 2 goals to nil, Jayden Meghoma dallied with the ball just inside his own half.

Calvin Miller duly dispossessed him and was off and running with nobody ahead of him en-route to Jack Butland’s goal.

But he didn’t get very far.

Meghoma slid in on him and brought him down from behind.

Robertson was in like a shot with a yellow card.

Just like Steven McLean was when Celtic player Auston Trusty brought down Hearts’ expert at simulation, Pierre Landry Kabore, three months previous at Tynecastle.

However, there was one glaring difference.

McLean was called to the monitor by John Beaton, despite the fact he had already issued a yellow card.

Robertson was not summoned yesterday by Andrew Dallas.

Meghoma got away with one.

As did his side because minutes later, they benefitted from another crucial decision.

Had Meghoma seen red, with the Ibrox side 2-0 down, its unlikely they would have found a way back into the game.

They were back in the game just before half time, despite the fact it looked as if a Nico Raskin cross had swerved out of play above the Falkirk goal.

But it made no odds because the SFA don’t have goal line technology, so they were never going to be able to check properly in the VAR room whether it actually did go out or not.

It did seem to the naked eye that it did.

But I’m sure Andrew Dallas was more than happy to let that one slide.

The simple fact is that referees are clearly going to have a massive impact on where this title goes.

And its not going to be a good impact.

As Celtic fans, we have to hope that we don’t fall victim to this in our last 5 games.

The weekend just gone has shown us how games can change radically due to refereeing decisions.

If the Ibrox side had been reduced to 10 men while 2-0 nil down at Falkirk?

Entirely different otucome.

If Hearts had not been given an absolutely farcical penalty at Tynecastle?

Entirely different outcome.

You can’t even say its fine margins because it isn’t.

Its utter incompetence on behalf of our woeful refereeing fraternity.

There’s a reason not a single Scottish referee isn’t going to this summer’s World Cup.

You need look no further than last weekend for the answer.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out…

Choose Read Celtic as a “Preferred Source” on Google News for quick access to the news you value.