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Neil Lennon has issued his verdict on the decision to send Hyun-jun Yang off for Celtic during the first-half of the Hoops’ clash with Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday.
It is hard to think of what else could have gone wrong for Brendan Rodgers’ men during the first-half. Obviously, the door was open for the Bhoys after Rangers lost on Saturday.
And it seemed that Celtic were going to go in front from the penalty spot after 11 minutes when Hyun-jun Yang was adjudged to have been fouled by Alex Cochrane. However, Adam Idah saw his penalty saved by Zander Clark as the striker went straight down the middle.
Neil Lennon baffled by decision to send Hyun-jun Yang off
Unfortunately for the visitors, Yang would not spend too much longer on the pitch. He was initially booked after a high boot caught Cochrane in the face. However, an intervention from the VAR saw the card upgraded to red.
It was certainly a poor challenge from the South Korean. However, speaking on (broadcast on 3/3; 13:01), Neil Lennon insisted that he could not believe that Yang was dismissed.
“For me, this is a big moment in the half. You can debate that all you want with me, but I can’t see that being a straight red card. He’s trying to flick the ball over Cochrane’s head. Cochrane quite rightly has gone in to head the ball. It’s just a flick, there’s no malice,” he said.
“I know it looks really bad when it’s slowed down but there’s no intent from Yang at all to hurt the player. I think it’s a shocking decision, I really do. A yellow card for me.”
Celtic can few complaints – as long as there is consistency
The issue arguably stems from the fact that you could imagine the officials making a different decision and only booking Yang on another day.
To say it is shocking seems quite strong. However, you would not be surprised if you found a situation where a player remained on the pitch in similar circumstances.
And unfortunately for Celtic, the decision proved costly as Hearts made the most of their advantage on a really disappointing afternoon for the Hoops.