Martin O’Neill Hits Out at VAR After Celtic’s Disallowed Goals in St Mirren Clash
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has expressed his frustration with VAR following a controversial evening during Celtic’s 2–1 victory over St Mirren. Although Celtic eventually came from behind to secure all three points, several decisions involving the video assistant referee attracted significant attention and raised fresh questions about the reliability of VAR in Scottish football.
Celtic had two goals disallowed for offside during the match. The first involved Camilo Durán, whose effort was ruled out after a VAR review. Questions were subsequently raised about the frame and process used to determine the offside decision.
The controversy became even greater late in the match when Celtic appeared to score again through Shim Mheuka. However, the goal was eventually disallowed for offside. On this occasion, reports indicated that automated VAR offside lines were unavailable, meaning the referee had to make the decision without the usual visual lines being displayed.
There was also a delay before the second half began because of communication problems between the referee and the VAR team. The technical difficulties added to the frustration surrounding the match and intensified scrutiny of the VAR system.
O’Neill was subsequently asked about the controversy and made his feelings clear. The Celtic manager questioned why accurate VAR lines could not be produced, particularly given the technology and resources available in modern football. He also suggested that similar problems had been experienced previously.
Despite his criticism, O’Neill adopted a relatively measured approach. Celtic had won the match, and the manager acknowledged that VAR decisions will sometimes go in his team’s favour as well. His priority was therefore to focus on the victory rather than allow the controversy to dominate Celtic’s preparations for their next fixture.
The match itself demonstrated Celtic’s resilience. St Mirren took the lead before half-time, but Celtic responded strongly after the interval. Liam Scales scored the equaliser before Yang Hyun-jun completed the comeback with the winning goal. The result allowed Celtic to maintain their perfect start to the domestic league campaign.
Nevertheless, the VAR incidents have continued to generate debate among supporters and pundits. VAR was introduced to help referees make more accurate decisions, but situations in which technology is unavailable or produces unclear evidence can create even more controversy.
For Celtic, the issue is particularly relevant with an Old Firm clash against Rangers approaching. The two sides are scheduled to meet in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Ibrox, making the accuracy of refereeing decisions an important talking point before one of Scottish football’s biggest fixtures.
O’Neill will now hope that the controversy does not distract his players. Celtic have made an excellent start to the season, and their manager will be keen to maintain that momentum.
For Scottish football, however, the St Mirren controversy has once again highlighted the need for confidence in the VAR process. Whether further improvements are made to the technology or its implementation, supporters will expect future major decisions to be supported by clear and reliable evidence.
