Furious Gary Lineker slams Celtic penalty call amid raging Hearts controversy

Gary Lineker has branded Celtic F.C.’s dramatic injury-time penalty against Motherwell F.C. “the worst VAR decision I’ve ever seen” after the controversial moment completely transformed the Scottish Premiership title race.

An extraordinary night of drama appeared to be swinging firmly in favour of Heart of Midlothian F.C., who were cruising to a 3-0 victory over Falkirk while Celtic struggled towards a damaging 2-2 draw at Fir Park.

With the title seemingly slipping away from the Hoops, the decisive moment arrived deep into stoppage time.

Following a chaotic scramble inside the Motherwell penalty area, referee John Beaton awarded Celtic a penalty after VAR reviewed an incident involving Sam Nicholson and Auston Trusty.

However, the decision immediately sparked fierce controversy, with many arguing replay angles failed to provide clear evidence that Nicholson had handled the ball. Some viewers believed the Motherwell player had instead headed the ball away cleanly during the challenge.

Former England national football team striker Lineker reacted furiously to the incident, insisting the VAR intervention represented one of the worst officiating calls he had ever witnessed.

Despite the outrage, Kelechi Iheanacho calmly stepped forward to convert the spot-kick with virtually the final action of the game, sparking wild celebrations among the travelling Celtic support and even triggering a pitch invasion at full-time.

The goal completely altered the complexion of the title race.

Instead of needing a significant swing in goal difference, Celtic now simply require victory against Hearts at Parkhead on Sunday to secure the Premiership crown. Had the match finished level, the Hoops would have needed a far more difficult margin of victory to stay ahead in the race.

The dramatic conclusion has only intensified debate around VAR in Scottish football, with the penalty decision now certain to remain one of the defining talking points of the season.