SPFL boss drops Celtic penalty 'mass hysteria' into VAR tirade as Willie Collum decisions spark anger

Stuart Kettlewell has referenced Tomoki Iwata's Celtic handball as the Motherwell boss hit referee Willie Collum and VAR with his dismay.

The Fir Park side lost 1-0 to Aberdeen on Saturday but they were left angry with two decisions by the officials. A leveller by Lennon Miller after Leighton Clarkson's opener was cancelled out after Collum was called over to the monitor for a look at a handball by Theo Bair. He was penalised and a free-kick was given.

Dons captain Graeme Shinnie then appeared to have the ball strike his arm in the final moment of second half stoppage time. The game was stopped but neither Collum or VAR pointed for a Motherwell penalty, with the initial ruled out goal a source of anger for Kettlewell. Ross County had a goal allowed versus his side earlier in the season in a similar incident following a handball in the build-up to Eamonn Brophy's goal during a 3-3 Fir Park draw.

He told club media: "They are defining moments. We haven't played particularly well but we aren't being battered by Aberdeen by any stretch of the imagination. It's a big time to score a goal. We are on the front foot if that goal stands, which without question it should.

"The fact it doesn't is just one of the most baffling things I have seen in recent times. That is saying something. It's a momentum changer. Everyone will have a look and see what's in it. We had an incident earlier in the season against Ross County, the Ross County player controls it with his hand above his head.

"It's a goal for Ross County and we are going mad at the officials, we were told that because it wasn't the goalscorer it had no impact. We have just seen a situation that should have been in our favour, where it grazes Theo Bair's bicep and lands at Lennon Miller. It has no affect on what's happening, we score a perfectly good goal and it is chopped off. The rules went a different way and this is what is driving everyone nuts."

The Shinnie incident didn't go down well with him either, and sparked an equally irked response, with reference to the Iwata handball. There was huge debate over that penalty call and Brendan Rodgers was left fuming after VAR judged the midfielder to have handled the ball while jumping in the air during a 2-0 defeat at Hearts.

Kettlewell added: "I have watched it again. Shinnie's arm is out in front of him in what I would class an an unnatural position. It's probably a natural position but every week we see these types of handballs given. Willie stops the game at the end.

"It comes off Shinnie's arm, there has been mass hysteria about an incident at Tynecastle with Hearts and Celtic, and how that can be a handball. That is a clearer handball we have seen but there is no intervention. I am really irked but I am also irked with our performance I have to say."