John Beaton scores Hearts vs Celtic 'full marks' from SFA despite controversial VAR performance

Referee John Beaton reportedly got "full marks" for his controversial performance on VAR during Celtic's defeat to Hearts.

Brendan Rodgers was hit with a one-game ban with one suspended by the SFA after breaching Disciplinary Rule 72 the showdown at Tynecastle as he called out referee Don Robertson and Beaton for the controversial decisions to send off Yang and award a penalty to Hearts after the ball struck Tomoki Iwata on the hand. Celtic appealed the red card shown to Yang during the Scottish Premiership clash but it was thrown out by the Hampden chiefs.

And despite heavy criticism of the match officials from the Parkhead boss and several pundits - the SFA reportedly praised the performance of Beaton in the VAR room. The implementation of VAR was being dissected on BBC's Off the Ball when host Kenny MacIntyre made the claim.

He said: "Unfortunately it is affecting some big calls. For example, in the game you are talking about, at Tynecastle, the one that Brendan Rodgers was hauled in front of the disciplinary board for, I am told that the VAR that day got full marks for his decisions."

But he also added: "I've been told by a senior match official for example that the penalty award that Hearts got was just ridiculous. The two incidents at Fir Park [Motherwell vs Aberdeen] the same match official told me that the Lennon Miller goal should have stood and he couldn't understand why the referee came over."