Nick Montgomery makes baffling penalty comments after Celtic beat Hibs

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Hibs manager, Nick Montgomery, has made some strange comments regarding the penalty decisions in his team’s defeat to Celtic last night.

Brendan Rodgers‘ side was awarded two spot kicks at Easter Road and it has been widely accepted that both were the correct call by the referee and VAR.

Hibs, however, were denied a penalty after it was adjudged that Martin Boyle took a dive in the Celtic penalty box.

The Easter Road manager has his say on all three calls and, it has to be said, what Montgomery has said will completely baffle the Celtic fans.

Montgomery said [Sky Sports], “My thoughts are, the first one, he’s just gone and tried to go and win the header. I’ll have to watch it again.

“If that happens anywhere else on the pitch I think the referee just stops the game and gets the players treatment and maybe it’s a drop ball. Again, I’ve not seen it really close.

“For the second one, I didn’t know anybody really thought that was a penalty including the fan or the Celtic players and then it goes over to the VAR.

“I have seen Martin Boyle’s penalty. And I think if someone calls him over to have a look at that, there is contact.

“He comes from behind and has caught him on his thigh.

“And it doesn’t matter how he’s fallen down, if he goes over to look at that on the VAR it’s a penalty.”

Nick Montgomery sounds bitter after Celtic defeat

Let’s take the two Celtic penalties first. I honestly felt when I saw it first-hand that the decision to award a spot kick for the challenge on Alistair Johnston looked harsh.

However, on second viewing the challenge by the Hibs defender was reckless as he wasn’t even watching the ball.

The second award was a stonewaller. Kyogo was clearly fouled in the penalty box. There is no dubiety about it. No one bit.

What was strange is that Montgomery felt Hibs should have been awarded a spot kick for the challenge on Martin Boyle.

The Hibs attacker was booked for a dive and it is widely accepted, again, that this was the correct call.

What makes Montgomery’s claims even more strange is that he didn’t see the clear challenge on Alistair Johnston but did see Boyle’s thigh being brushed through a crowd of players.

Quite an incredible take from the Easter Road gaffer and I think that when he looks back at these challenges and takes the emotion out of it, he will do so with a little bit of embarrassment.

In other news, ‘Nasty’… Brendan Rodgers delivers double injury update after Celtic beat Hibs