Celtic’s penalty against Kilmarnock certainly set the cat among the pigeons this week.
Kelechi Iheanacho’s Celtic debut was thrust into the spotlight after the Nigerian striker tucked away a last-minute penalty to sink Kilmarnock at Rugby Park last weekend.
The spot kick award spurred a meltdown from Kilmarnock boss Stuart Kettlewell which lasted all week in the run-up to his Premier Sports Cup tie against St Mirren this weekend.
However, with Kilmarnock 2-1 down and heading out of the Premier Sports Cup, Kettlewell’s side were awarded a penalty with just four minutes left to play which they converted to force extra-time and penalties.
The Rugby Park side went out of the competition after St Mirren won the shoot-out 5-3, but what did Kettlewell make of the penalty Kilmarnock were awarded to offer his side a cup lifeline with just minutes to spare?
Kilmarnock’s late penalty met with silence from Stuart Kettlewell after Celtic rant
With the score against St Mirren sitting at 2-1 with just minutes of normal time left, Kettlewell’s side were awarded a penalty kick.
Have a look at this:
A dubious decision to say the least to give Kilmarnock an out from a normal time cup exit. So what did Kettlewell say about the award?
The Kilmarnock boss said on the BBC, “We’ve been dealt two of the most bitter blows you’re going to get in the space of six days, losing a penalty shootout and losing a goal like we did against Celtic.
“It was a proper cup tie, quality and fighting spirit. Unfortunately, our group have come out on the wrong side of it.
“Really disappointed, but we’ll pick ourselves up and go again. You do that when you’re a good professional.
“There’s moments today where we could have had a bit more quality in our delivery and movement in the box. That’s not a criticism, it’s something we have to work on.
“We need to retain the ball better at times and if we do that, it might buy us the luck we’ve not had in the past couple of weeks.”
Nothing about it at all. Still talking about Celtic though. But St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson had his view on the penalty.
Stephen Robinson highlights Kettlewell’s Celtic penalty double-standard
The St Mirren boss was clearly delighted to progress into the next round of the cup but he certainly thought the penalty Kilmarnock got should not have been awarded.
Robinson told BBC Radio Scotland [29m 28s], “I thought we controlled large amounts of the game, had chances that we didn’t take, and we got done by a wide free kick and a penalty kick, which we don’t think it was, but if you go to ground, you give the referee an opportunity.”
At every opportunity Kettlewell had, he brings up Celtic’s penalty at Rugby Park. Even after his defeat against St Mirren, the Killie boss couldn’t resist talking about it.
But his own dubious penalty? Not a peep. Nothing. Either all poor decisions are called out or none are. Kettlewell can’t have it both ways.