Neil Lennon’s Celtic are now seven points clear in the Scottish Premiership – but Leigh Griffiths got lucky against The Accies.
Hamilton Academical manager Brian Rice was left fuming after Leigh Griffiths escaped a red card for an alleged stamp during their 4-1 defeat to Celtic on Sunday, as reported by the Daily Record.
Starting for the fourth successive game in the Scottish Premiership, Celtic’s number nine found himself at the centre of a controversial flashpoint in the opening stages of this weekend’s clash in Lanarkshire. Griffiths appeared to stamp down on Accies’ Sam Woods after a coming together in the centre of the park.
The Scotland international escaped with a yellow card however and, given that the game was still goalless at the time, you can understand why Hamilton boss Rice was left wondering what might have been.
“I don’t think there is any debate it was a red card for Leigh Griffiths,” he said.
“There is no debate. But my opinion doesn’t matter and the only person whose opinion matters is the referee and he called it the way he has seen it so we move on.
“He may look at it and say he made a mistake or he may look at it and say he got that right but in my humble opinion I don’t think there is any debate.”
To make matters worse for The Accies, Hamilton defender Jamie Hamilton was sent for an early bath shortly afterwards for a professional foul on (you guessed it) Griffiths.
The hosts’ 1-0 lead, given to them by a thumping Marios Ogkmpoe header, was never likely to last much longer after that. And, sure enough, a double from the exceptional Odsonne Edouard, plus one apiece from Christopher Jullien and James Forrest, secured a comeback win which left Celtic seven points clear in first place.
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