The debate over the decision not to award Alistair Johnston a red card on Saturday against Ross County in Dingwall has continued, with former referees Steve Conroy and Des Roache now chiming in.

Conroy and Roache, who previously refereed in the Scottish Premiership, looked to criticise Matthew McDermid, who refereed Saturday’s game, with VAR also coming in for criticism.

This is yet another sign that modern refereeing has changed so much, with the two former referees at odds with how McDermid made the decision and how the VAR ultimately decided against a red card for the Canadian defender.

With Kris Boyd also looking to make the most of the decision post-match, Johnston has come in for heavy criticism from some, despite Celtic ultimately running out 4-1 winners.

Yet again, those with a platform to cover Celtic look to criticise refereeing decisions instead of praising what McDermid did right and how much the Hoops impressed on tough conditions, on an even tougher pitch in freezing temperatures.

Conroy said: (The Ref’s View Podcast), “It was given for the shove on him, but the shove constituted denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

“You can’t get much more opportunity than being unopposed directly in front of goal. So, for me it was a clear penalty and a clear red card. I don’t think you could argue otherwise.”

Roache would go even further on Johnston with his comments, of the two certainly the strongest.

He said: “It’s 100 per cent a penalty and a red card. I have no idea why it wasn’t given, because he is right in front of goal – if you are going to deny a blatant goalscoring opportunity that is as blatant as you will come across.

“I have no idea what is going through his (Matthew McDermid) head. But also, that is why VAR is there because it’s a clear and obvious error so VAR should be picking that one up if Matthew McDermid has missed it. I have got no explanation. It’s a clear shove, push – whatever you want – on the back of him.

“Alistair Johnston is starting to make a name for himself with the dark arts that he is getting away with. I think now that people like us are talking about it will be highlighted a bit more, not that you go out to target a player but I think it’s become more obvious that this is part of the game that he plays.”

Johnston has proven himself to be one of the best defenders in Scotland, alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers, during his time at the club.

It is incredible to see such criticism of a defender who gives so much to the game, with the Canadian international playing a wonderful ball into the box for Kyogo for the game’s opener.

His moment of brilliance is instead overshadowed by a constant focus on any VAR decisions regarding Celtic.

The Hoops are certainly held to a standard when it comes to refereeing decisions, with officials facing great criticism over the decisions they make.