Martin Boyle handed firm Celtic penalty defence by Nick Montgomery as Hibs boss bristles over 'dive' chatter
The Easter Road side slumped to a 2-1 defeat to the Hoops following two Adam Idah spot kicks.
Nick Montgomery insists VAR cost Hibs a win against Celtic as blasted any suggestions Martin Boyle is a con man.
The Easter Road gaffer was fuming the attacker was denied a penalty in last night’s 2-1 defeat. Boyle got booked for diving instead and Monty was also raging at the top spot kicks Celtic were given as they claimed all three points.
When asked if Boyle’s reputation for going down easily hurt him, Montgomery said: “I’m not going to answer that question. It was a penalty. If you are very quick and someone catches you it is easier to go down off balance. Martin is not someone who goes down. He is very quick. When he gets contact it is very hard to stay on your feet.
“I watch plenty of incidents and watching it back in slow motion he gets caught from behind on his quad and he has a dead leg. He is limping around in there. It’s irrelevant how he goes down.
He has been caught from behind and that has knocked him off balance and whether he goes down on one leg, two legs or head first if that is seen by VAR and the ref looks at it he has no option to give the penalty.
“Martin is nursing a dead leg and hopefully he is around for the weekend, but to get booked for it as well is more disappointment.”
Montgomery felt both Celtic’s penalties were harsh – with VAR not getting involved in the first flash point when Nectarios Triantis thumped into Alistair Johnston.
And the Hoops clinched it at the death when Joe Newell caught Kyogo on the edge of the box. Montgomery said: “The first one Nectar is committed and has gone to win the header. There’s no malice in it whatsoever. It’s two boys going to win a header.
“If that happens anywhere else on the field, the game stops, the players get treatment – and it’s maybe a drop ball. But I haven’t watched that one back closely.
“The second one, I’ve watched it once. Maybe it’s outside of the box, Joe Newell pulls out.
“I just think that not one person in the stadium thought about asking for a penalty. But somebody has called the ref to have a look on VAR.
“I know it’s not easy. It’s a tough gig. But to lose it like that, on that moment, when we were the team who looked more likely to win the game, it just rubs salt in the wound.”