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Celtic await verdict on defender’s red card against Hearts
Celtic will learn the outcome of their appeal against Auston Trusty’s red card in the 2-2 draw with Hearts when a Scottish Football Association hearing takes place on Tuesday.
The American defender was sent off with Celtic leading 2-1 in the 77th minute of the Tynecastle showdown after being deemed to have denied Landry Kabore a goal-scoring opportunity.
Trusty was initially shown a yellow card but it was upgraded to a red after referee Steven McLean was instructed by John Beaton on VAR to go to the pitchside monitor.
It was the Hoops’ first domestic dismissal since March 2024 and hampered their chances of holding out for a victory that would have seen them cut the six-point gap to their opponents.
Celtic's Auston Trusty fouls Hearts' Pierre Landry Kabore which results in him being sent off after a VAR check confirmed the denial of a goal scoring opportunity. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group) | SNS Group“We can confirm that Celtic Football Club will be submitting an appeal to the SFA in relation to the red card imposed on Auston Trusty, following the intervention of VAR during Sunday’s match at Tynecastle,” read a short statement from Celtic on Monday evening.
Celtic boss Martin O’Neill outlined his frustration with the red card decision in his post-match press conference.
“The referee has given a yellow card,” he said. “Obviously VAR’s re-refereeing the game.
“First of all, the ball is going away from goal, so the player has to get a hold of that and control it. And secondly, and more importantly, is that we’ve got someone covering.
“That’s what the referee saw in the first place and he was pretty close to it. It puts you under severe pressure in the last 20-odd minutes.”
Hearts boss Derek McInnes said of the incident: “What the fourth official said to me is that they needed to be sure that Kabore would get a shot away.
“My thought was, ‘He’s definitely going to get a shot away’. He broke the line. Celtic don’t get red cards domestically so it was a bit of a shock when VAR overturned it and made it a red.
“But for me it looked like a red card offence.”
Trusty will serve a one-game suspension in Sunday’s Premiership match at home to Falkirk unless the appeal is successful.