Bitton’s sending-off described as ‘stupid’ by boss
Celtic boss Ronny Deila described Nir Bitton’s sending-off against Partick as a “little bit stupid” after a last-gasp winner by substitute Leigh Griffiths gave the Ladbrokes Premiership leaders a barely deserved 1-0 win.
The Israel midfielder was booked by referee Stephen Finnie for a foul on Stuart Bannigan in the 61st minute and survived another challenge on Abdul Osman moments before he got his second yellow card for a late barge on Jags substitute Gary Miller.
Griffiths, who replaced Nadir Ciftci at the start of the second half, grabbed his 20th goal of the season in the 89th minute to bring cheers of relief from a hitherto disgruntled home support, with the champions moving three points clear of Aberdeen at the top of the table.
Asked about Bitton’s dismissal, the Norwegian said: “I think it was very easy, I don’t think it was a red card.
“Having said that, it was also a little bit stupid because there was an incidence before that.
“I don’t think that was a yellow card either and then the other one, those two together made the decision for the referee.
“I think it was inexperience and something he needs to learn from.”
After failing to win any of his previous four home matches, and taking one point from his last six, Deila admitted the victory over Thistle was “vital” although he claimed happiness rather than relief was his overwhelming feeling.
He said: “You can call it that (relief), I will call it happiness. I am so happy that we scored and got three points.
“It was vital of course, it is about confidence as well.
“You could see that we were a little bit anxious out there, the angles and pressing weren’t as normal.
“They were a good passing team, they kept the ball well and we couldn’t really get into the game.
“When Leigh came on we were the more dangerous, he went behind them and in the end got the chance we needed to win the game.”
Griffiths, who had missed four matches with a calf injury, admitted he was “a bit surprised” to get the nod from Deila at half-time.
Asked if there was a worry that he relied too much on the Scotland international, the Celtic manager said: “Every team relies on some players, of course they do.
“I am happy to have him back and happy that Jamesie (James Forrest) came on as well and made a difference.
“But we are a team and that is why we have a squad, to make changes during the game and today they were the difference.”
Thistle boss Alan Archibald was “absolutely gutted” with his side’s first defeat in seven and claimed Bitton’s dismissal worked against his side.
He said: “We put a lot into the game and deserved to take something from it. We had good shape about ourselves.
“I thought the sending-off changed the game for the worse for us. I thought we had a good rhythm and shape and it upset us a little bit.
“I was happy with the way we were playing and it upset the rhythm.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
