Alistair Johnston reacts to Copa America 'headbutt' as Celtic hero predicts red card if shoe was on other foot

Streetfighter Alistair Johnston believes keeping his cool in an ugly battle could see him extend his Copa America stay.

The Celtic defender survived an unpunished headbutt as he helped Canada move to the brink of the knockout stages. During a chaotic encounter which saw an assistant ref collapse and need medical attention, Johnston was caught up in a second-half incident during his side’s valuable 1-0 win over 10-man Peru. The Parkhead ace exchanged words with Marcos Lopez before the Feyenoord star appeared to plant his head into the Hoops star’s face.

Johnston had to stay calm as the incident was let go by the match officials and, although he doesn’t mind getting involved in scrapes and savours the competitive edge of high-octane games, he believes that restraint is vital going forward. He said: “There was a lot of talk in the media that it was going to be a street fight and it ended up turning into one as they got the red card.

“We kept our cool. There were moments when we could have retaliated and been silly, but we stuck to the game plan and got the goal. It was hard. It was a battle of attrition, is the best way to describe it.

“It wasn’t really football, it was a mental and physical battle. I’m proud of the group for keeping our discipline. It just encapsulates exactly what we knew we were going to get going into this tournament. We can’t rely on the refs to give us anything. We just have to put the ball in the back of the net and pray that VAR lets it stand.

“We really can’t bank on getting any calls here, that’s something we discussed going into this game. So I can’t say I was too surprised I got up and he waved it on. I just know if it had gone the other way, I have a feeling it would have been me that would