Celtic have equalled the Lisbon Lions record for games unbeaten at the start of a season, with a single goal victory against St Johnstone. The goal was scored by Dedryk Boyata, who was excellent throughout the match and thoroughly deserved his moment. It was a match characterised by dogged defending from St Johnstone, in which Celtic’s star men were again on the left flank with Kieran and Scott Sinclair, as well as Boyata himself.
Scott Brown could have scored a second right at the end with a lung-bursting run that almost paid off.
The fans inside Celtic Park would have raised the roof.
But the key talking point from the match was the astounding refereeing display from Andrew Dallas, who’s father was famously fired by the SFA for sending a sectarian email. His influence at the governing body remains to this day, and Dallas Jnr turned in a performance tonight that the old bigot would have been well and truly proud of.
To say St Johnstone rough-housed us is an understatement.
Our players had to put up with kicks and digs all night long whilst Dallas ignored it all. Late in the game came a flashpoint our fans will be talking about for a long time to come; Scott Brown being quite blatantly elbowed in the face on his own goal-line. As he lay there, it was Craig Gordon who reacted in fury.
Dallas booked Gordon. The St Johnstone thug was allowed to continue the match without as much as a talking to. The absence of broadcast TV cameras will probably result in the guy escaping scott-free unless the refs assistant spotted the incident, which you shouldn’t count on considering we play them again in a couple of weeks. Only if Sevco were due to take them would you say there might be a chance of seeing some justice done.
Dallas was a disgrace throughout though, and whilst that particular incident ought to be the one that makes headlines on the Celtic sites – if not in the MSM – there were numerous other opportunities for him to show his talent for missing clear-cut fouls.
I know we don’t usually criticise refereeing displays – Brendan is a good guy that way – but this one tonight must be highlighted. Gordon’s yellow card is a travesty considering what took place a moment before it, and for which no-one was punished. But it was that performance overall, with St Johnstone players feeling free to take kicks and swipes and nark away all through the game, that reveals Scottish refereeing at its naked worst.
And this will only get worse as we get nearer going unbeaten.
Brace yourselves folks.
This is how they’re going to try and halt the march to the treble.