by Our Sports Desk

Celtic manager Ronny Deila yesterday called for referees to explain their decisions post-match following his team’s controversial Scottish Cup semi-final defeat by Inverness.

Referee Steven McLean sparked a furore by failing to penalise Josh Meekings after the Caley Thistle defender used an arm to block a goal-bound header by Leigh Griffiths with the Hoops winning 1-0 at Hampden Park on Sunday.

Deila’s dream of a treble ended in a 3-2 extra-time defeat but the ramifications began with the Parkhead club writing to the Scottish Football Association “seeking an understanding” of the incident.

Meekings was offered a one-game suspension by SFA compliance officer Tony McGlennan but the 22-year-old won his appeal on Thursday after an independent three-person judicial panel tribunal ruled the case should not have been brought in the first place.

Ahead of the trip to Dundee United tomorrow, Deila was asked if referees, in the bid for more transparency, should be allowed to explain their decisions.

“Why not?” said the Norwegian boss. “What is the problem? I can’t understand. Everybody has to stand up.

“To be open and honest is important and then we can stop talking about this for weeks.

“If I was the referee after that match and he knew what happened, I would say ‘I didn’t see it. I am very very, sorry,

I should have done better’ and what more can anyone say?

“In Norway the referees are talking to the newspapers and saying ‘I am sorry I missed it’.

“Just be humble and say how you felt. Instead of sitting and not saying anything.

“It is better to answer and then we move on.”