Flag Day at Celtic Park so yet more VAR controversy after Kyogo was clearly fouled by Kilmarnock goalkeeper Robbie McCrorie.

Despite the clear contact, neither the referee Don Robertson nor the VAR awarded a penalty, sparking widespread debate.

The play in question began with a deft lob from Matt O’Riley, which Kyogo brilliantly controlled, attempting to round McCrorie. As he did so, the contact impeded Kyogo’s progress, preventing him from tapping into an empty net. The lack of a call on the field was compounded by VAR’s silence on the matter.

On BBC’s Sportscene, pundits Michael Stewart and Mark Wilson concurred that a penalty should have been awarded. Stewart argued that Kyogo had a clear goal-scoring opportunity, making the contact a critical foul, while Wilson critiqued the consistency of refereeing, noting that such contact would typically warrant a foul elsewhere on the pitch.

Stewart said: “That there is a foul for me. Kyogo can get that once he knocks it past McCrorie then it’s a goal-scoring opportunity. That’s a penalty kick.”

Mark Wilson agreed: “It’s a stonewaller penalty. Anywhere else on the pitch, it’s a foul. It certainly was. I Think Mayo plays him onside if you look at Mayo’s foot creeping in. For me, it was a penalty, but it didn’t matter.”

There were initial claims of offside against Kyogo, but subsequent reviews and lack of official VAR imagery suggested these claims were unfounded. No offside lines were drawn in broadcasts even 24 hours post-incident.

Despite the controversy, Celtic secured a comfortable 4-0 victory, though the incident underscores ongoing concerns about VAR’s implementation and consistency in the Scottish Premiership.

The absence of a penalty in this instance didn’t affect the match’s outcome but goal difference could have a role to play at any given point of the season.