Keith Hackett, the former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, has labelled Celtic defender Auston Trusty’s conduct as cheating during Sunday’s heated Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox, speaking exclusively to Football Insider. The incident happened just before the 60-minute mark, when Trusty dropped to the turf writhing in apparent agony after contact with Rangers striker Youssef Chermiti. Replays, however, revealed next to no meaningful contact between the two players, and Trusty faced accusations of play acting, seemingly trying to get Chermiti sent off.
Auston Trusty Accused Of Cheating By Refereeing Expert In Old Firm Flashpoint
Referee Don Robertson reacted quickly, stepping in as a cluster of players crowded around the stricken Celtic defender. Hackett praised Robertson’s handling of a potentially explosive situation, telling Football Insider the official kept things under control at a critical moment.
Trusty came into the cup tie already serving a three-match league suspension, according to Sky Sports, with the match his only chance to contribute during a difficult run. Yet Hackett had no sympathy for what he saw on the pitch. Hackett did note that Chermiti deserved credit for keeping his head in response. Celtic ultimately prevailed 4-2 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes, advancing to a Scottish Cup semi-final against St Mirren.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett said: “It’s cheating. It’s an action that nobody wants to see: a player going down to get an opponent sent off. It’s unacceptable. It’s excellent refereeing from Robertson, getting straight in at the beginning of a mass confrontation, with the assistant helping. There’s no overreaction. But these are the things happening in football that are frankly disgraceful. Let’s have a degree of respect for other players. No football fan wants to see this level of nonsense. In fairness to the player accused, he didn’t overreact. Some suddenly think that, if you think I’ve hit you, have one for real.”
Does The Trusty Controversy Expose A Deeper Fragility In Celtic’s Title Credentials?
Celtic currently sit second in the Scottish Premiership, five points behind leaders Hearts, with nine games left before the league split. It is a deficit that is more worrying than it looks on paper at this stage of the season. Martin O’Neill’s side have shown genuine quality at times this campaign, but they have dropped points in too many big moments. And the Trusty episode adds to a growing picture of a squad that sometimes lets itself down when focus matters most.
The context around Trusty makes this more damaging than a routine flashpoint. He arrived at Ibrox already banned from league football, with Sunday’s cup tie the only game available to him. Instead of using that opportunity to rebuild some credibility within O’Neill’s defensive setup, he leaves it with his name attached to a “cheating” accusation from one of the most respected voices in British refereeing.
Celtic were already without captain Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney through injury going into the match, so every available player carries added responsibility to stay focused and professional. With Motherwell visiting Celtic Park on 14th March in a fixture that Celtic simply cannot afford to drop points in, O’Neill needs his defenders winning headers and keeping clean sheets, not drawing the wrong kind of attention. Robertson kept the situation from boiling over on the day, but Trusty’s reputation took a hit.
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