'Not one Dundee player even looked for a foul,' Des Roache

The Nigerian forward produced a crucial moment for Celtic at Dens Park at the weekend, finding the net as the Hoops pushed for a winner to stay in the title race.

He brought down a cross from Marcelo Saracchi, held off defender Ryan Astley and finished confidently past goalkeeper Jon McCracken. The goal has since sparked debate, with some claiming Iheanacho may have pushed Astley in the process.

Former SFA referee Des Roache, however, rejected those claims, stating that the contact was not sufficient to constitute a foul.

Speaking on Daily Record Hotline, Roache said: “You look at that still there and it doesn’t look great. But football’s a physical sport.”

“I’m not jumping in to give a foul there and tellingly, not one Dundee player even looked for a foul while the game was on. That’s not a foul. 100 per cent it’s not a foul.”

“If it’s given as a foul, VAR isn’t going to overrule it. But VAR is only there to comment on clear and obvious errors. So what’s happened there is an opinion, and we share the same opinion. If I was VAR and the referee gave a foul, I could support it and say you know what? Yeah he’s shoved him, he’s nudged him.”

“But it’s just absolutely not. And Iheanacho looking and waiting to see what’s going to happen, that’s a symptom of where we are with VAR; they’re not sure they can celebrate a goal. I’ve got no issue with the decision at all.”

“Not just Astley, but you look at the goalkeeper and the players surrounding him, nobody is looking for a foul.”

Iheanacho will be expected to lead the frontline from now until the end of the season starting against St Mirren on Saturday at Celtic Park.

Conor Spence

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