Honest Mistakes 2025/26 - Match Day 30
A mad 10 minutes at Motherwell gave plenty of opportunity for John Beaton and co to show their quality.
This week saw an incident packed game at Celtic Park as in form Motherwell came calling under the guidance of John Beaton.
Meanwhile, The Rangers visited managerless St Mirren.
14/03/26 Celtic vs Motherwell
Incident 1
Referee: John Beaton
Game Minute: 7th
Score At Time: 0-0
Incident: Oxlade-Chamberlain fouls Just
Outcome: Foul to Motherwell and YC to Oxlade-Chamberlain
Evidence: Provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Oxlade-Chamberlain fouls Just
IOD: Free kick to Motherwell & caution to AOC
Chamberlain has possession of the ball but under pressure from an opponent loses control and over stretches to try keep the ball. In doing so his studs appear to catch the inside ankle of Just.
A sore one but purely accidental. Certainly reckless but not with excessive force or brutality. A caution at most.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Incident 2
Referee: John Beaton
Game Minute: 60th
Score At Time: 1-1
Incident: Maswanhise goes down in the box
Outcome: No decision
Evidence: Provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Maswanhise goes down in the box
IOD: No decision
As the ball bounces in the penalty area the Motherwell forward gets his body in front of his marker. The defender puts his arms out in front to shape for a jump to head the ball and Maswanhise feels the contact in his back and drops to the floor.
Quite embarrassing really and the contact is minimal, expected and not even remotely a push in the back.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Incident 3
Referee: John Beaton
Game Minute: 61st
Score At Time: 1-1
Incident: Maeda and Said clash
Outcome: Foul to Celtic
Evidence: Provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Maeda and Said clash
IOD: Foul to Celtic
Said charges Maeda and commits a foul, Maeda as he turns, maybe slightly catches the Motherwell with his trailing arm.
Looks accidental and again, I feel a large over reaction by the Motherwell player trying to make out there was more in it, than was actually the case.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Incident 4
Referee: John Beaton
Game Minute: 65th
Score At Time: 1-1
Incident: Just challenges Oxlade-Chamberlain
Outcome: Foul to Celtic, YC to Just
Evidence: Provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Just challenges Oxlade-Chamberlain
IOD: Foul to Celtic and caution for Just
As the Celtic man breaks forward Just slides in late and catches Chamberlain at the bottom of the shin. Clearly late and definitely reckless but I don’t see it endangering players safety or a tackle with excessive force, so caution appears the correct sanction.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Incident 5
Referee: John Beaton
Game Minute: 67th
Score At Time: 1-1
Incident: Longelo and Maeda challenge for a corner
Outcome: No decision; upgraded to a penalty to Celtic and RC to Longelo on VAR review
Evidence: Provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Longelo and Maeda challenge for a corner
IOD: No decision but after VAR review, penalty awarded to Celtic & Longelo shown red card
As a corner is delivered the two players drop to the ground after what initially appears mutual grabbling.
However, on the replay it appears that Longelo had no interest in the ball and is purely concerned with grabbing his man and preventing him from getting a clear header away on goal. He does not look at the flight of the ball once.
Maeda is clearly impacted by the holding, he’s look favourite to score from close range so this correctly interpreted as a DOGSO.
As Longelo has made no genuine attempt to play or challenge for the ball itself whilst committing this foul, it is identified as a sending off offence.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Incident 6
Referee: John Beaton
Game Minute: 74th
Score At Time: 2-1
Incident: Cvancara is challenged
Outcome: No decision
Evidence: Provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Cvancara goes down in the box
IOD: No decision
As the Celtic forward looks to break into the 18 yard box, he falls to the floor quite theatrically appealing for a penalty and the referee appears unmoved.
Upon closer inspection I do believe he is tripped by the Motherwell player, but crucially this contact appears to happen outside the box and then Cvancara ensures he lands far inside the box. As this would be deemed a free kick for the foul and not a penalty kick, even if VAR believe a foul was committed it is not within their remit to award free kicks upon review.
Therefore no penalty review is required.
Verdict: CORRECT decision not to award a penalty (although a free kick outside the box would have been the expected outcome)
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
15/03/26 St Mirren vs The Rangers
Incident 1
Referee: Steven McLean
Game Minute: 11th
Score At Time: 0-0
Incident: Gogic blocks Raskin attempt at goal
Outcome: No decision
Evidence: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002sydm/sportscene-premiership-highlights-202526-15032026
At 3:30
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Gogic blocks Raskin header
IOD: No decision
Raskin heads the ball goalwards from a corner and the ball hits the lower left arm of Gogic.
The handball contact is clearly accidental and Gogic’s arm appears to be quite low down and in a natural position as he jumps to make the block. No foul here.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Summary
My thanks, as always, to the Yorkshire Whistler.
A mad 10 minutes at Celtic Park, but one way or another referee Beaton and the VAR team seemed to have separated fact from fiction satisfactorily as far as our neutral expert is concerned.
What is more interesting is, as often the case, the selectivity of which incidents are microscopically scrutinised in certain quarters of the press and the non-press (commentators and “influencers”). Not unexpected, I suppose.
So, no change, and after 30 matches, The Rangers have been hampered by 1.64 expected points.
Celtic lead their rivals by one point after 30 games.