3 Rangers vs Celtic VAR flashpoints as ex ref declares Fabio Silva a 'diver' and pleads for penalty sanity

A sedate Sunday south of the Clyde? Not a chance.

Rangers and Celtic produced an Old Firm firecracker to keep the title race smouldering with a final derby decider to come after the Premiership split. It looked like Philippe Clement's men were offering up a damp squib as Brendan Rodgers' side threatened to put the afterburners on in the first half, opening up a two-goal lead without really breaking sweat.

The second came courtesy of an ice cool Matt O'Riley penalty awarded by VAR after Daizen Maeda sparked the game into life with the opener on 21 seconds. More screen checks were required after the break as James Tavernier and Abdallah Sima dragged Rangers back into it before Adam Idah thought he'd won it. But Rabbi Matondo had other plans with a stoppage time rocket and it's as you were at the summit following an epic 3-3 draw. But what's the verdict on VAR?

Former top flight whistler Steve Conroy was on Record Sport's ref watch. And he exclusively gave his verdict on the three major incidents.

The ball hitting Connor Goldson's elbow wouldn't have been a penalty in seasons gone by. But under the current rules, the Rangers centre back couldn't have much in the way of argument. The outcome seemed inevitable when Beaton was called over to the monitor for a look at the incident, which he assumedly didn't see through a throng of bodies as the cross came in.

And point to the spot he did. However, Matt O'Riley still had to convert in what is the biggest game of the season so far. And he was the coolest man in the stadium, dinking a panenka over Jack Butland in front of the watching Gareth Southgate.

Conroy's verdict: "Handball is a farce. In a sane world, that should never be handball. He didn't mean to do it and I don't think