Steven McLean blasted for Celtic red card blunder as 'systemic failure' highlighted by former top ref

Former top ref Steve Conroy reckons Steven McLean has nowhere to hide after booking the wrong player in Celtic's clash with Raith Rovers on Sunday.

But he says the blame doesn't all fall on the man in the middle with "systemic failure" on show during the Scottish Cup tie.

Conroy was at the heart of a handful of controversial decisions in the Hoops' 4-0 victory, firstly failing to award Raith a penalty for handball on Cameron Carter-Vickers – with pundits unanimously agreeing it should have been a spot-kick.

But the most bizarre incident came late on when Raith defender Mackie handled the ball and McLean did point to the spot.

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The left-back was already on a booking and should have been given his marching orders, but instead Ross Matthews was flashed a yellow card before Nir Bitton took the kick.

Conroy, a former Grade 1 whistler, remembers a similar incident in 2010 when St Johnstone's Steven Anderson was shown two yellow cards against Dundee United but wasn't sent off by Brian Winter.

And he reckons in both cases it was a case of poor admin by the man in the middle.

Conroy told the Get Involved Referee podcast, via the Scottish Daily Express: "It's a big mistake and it's not one that people