Dermot Gallagher gives his verdict on Celtic’s controversial VAR call against Kilmarnock.

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has defended the decision to rule out Kasper Høgh’s first-half effort during Celtic’s 1-0 victory over Kilmarnock on Sunday. Gallagher believes referee John Beaton was right to change his original decision after reviewing an earlier challenge involving Mika Baur and Greg Kiltie.

The incident became one of the main talking points after Høgh appeared to have ended his frustrating wait for another goal. The Danish forward found the net by converting Benjamin Nygren’s pass at Celtic Park, and Celtic initially celebrated what looked like an important breakthrough.

However, the goal was disallowed following a VAR intervention. Beaton had first allowed play to continue after Baur’s challenge on Kiltie during the build-up. VAR official Grant Irvine then recommended that the referee visit the pitchside monitor to review the incident.

After viewing the footage, Beaton overturned his decision. Gallagher has since offered his assessment on Sky Sports News’ Ref Watch, backing the outcome and explaining why he believes the goal could not stand.

Gallagher supports the referee’s decision

Speaking on Monday morning, Gallagher made clear that he agreed with the match officials. The former Premier League referee focused on the contact between Baur and Kiltie, rather than the finish that followed.

His explanation was that the replay showed an offence in the build-up. Once the incident had been reviewed, he felt the referee had to recognise the foul and disallow the goal. Gallagher said: “Once you go back and see that, it’s always going to be disallowed because it’s a foul. You go back, you can’t unsee it.”

Those comments underline his belief that the footage provided sufficient evidence for Beaton to reverse the original call. The referee had initially judged that play should continue, but the review gave him another view of what had happened before Høgh scored.

Gallagher’s assessment is a clear endorsement of the VAR process in this incident. He did not argue that the officials should have kept the goal on the board simply because Beaton had first waved play on. Instead, he considered the replay decisive and supported the change in decision.

How VAR overturned Celtic’s apparent opener

The sequence began when Baur challenged Kiltie during Celtic’s first-half attack. Beaton made an initial judgement and allowed the game to continue. Celtic then moved forward, with Nygren providing the pass that Høgh turned into the net.

At that moment, the home side had reason to believe they had taken the lead. Høgh’s finish appeared to bring his lengthy goalscoring drought to an end, making the intervention disappointing for the striker.

Irvine, operating as the VAR official, reviewed the incident and recommended an on-field review. That recommendation required Beaton to look at the footage on the monitor beside the pitch and reconsider his original decision.

The referee did not spend long at the screen before deciding to overturn the goal. His final judgement was that the earlier challenge should have been penalised, meaning Celtic’s attacking move ought to have been stopped before Høgh found the net.

The intervention consequently shifted attention away from Nygren’s pass and Høgh’s finish. The issue was the contact earlier in the move and whether it amounted to an offence. Gallagher’s comments suggest that the replay made the correct outcome apparent.

Høgh denied a chance to end his drought

The decision was a personal disappointment for Høgh, who thought he had finally scored after a difficult period in front of goal. The Danish striker had converted Nygren’s delivery and briefly looked set to enjoy a significant moment in Celtic’s match.

Instead, the goal was removed after Beaton reviewed the footage. Although Gallagher has backed the decision, the incident remained a talking point because of the contrast between the referee’s initial judgement and his final call.

Celtic did eventually secure a 1-0 victory over Kilmarnock, so the disallowed effort did not prevent them from taking all three points. Nevertheless, the episode attracted attention because it involved a VAR recommendation, a pitchside review and a decision that took away what had appeared to be Høgh’s breakthrough.

Gallagher’s verdict adds to the debate

By speaking on Ref Watch, Gallagher has provided the perspective of a former referee. His view is that Beaton made the correct decision after seeing the incident again, because Baur’s challenge on Kiltie was a foul.

The discussion centres on the officials’ interpretation of that contact and the use of the monitor to revisit the original call. Beaton first allowed the goal, but after Irvine’s intervention and his own review, he reached a different conclusion.

The replay settled the matter. His verdict gives support to the decision that denied Høgh his apparent goal, as the moment remains debated.