Balde set for SFA probe

Bobo Balde looks set to be investigated by the Scottish Football Association’s video review panel for his part in a flare-up with Jim Hamilton at Parkhead yesterday.

The Celtic defender was furious after being caught by the Livingston man’s elbow in a challenge and took retribution by appearing to push the striker in the face later on.

Referee Craig Thomson missed the incident but Hamilton and opposing manager Richard Gough claimed that he could have been sent off for the Wayne Rooney-style moment of petulance.

The Livingston pair attempted to play down the incident after the defeat but the SFA seem certain to look at television pictures of the clash when they return from their holidays on Wednesday.

Drew Herbertson, the head of the disciplinary and refereeing department, told the: “Those things (video evidence) are used as a matter of course these days but it is still too early to say what might happen.”

The SFA used video evidence to ban Henri Camara and Nacho Novo following unsavoury incidents during the ugly Old Firm Bank of Scotland Premier League game at Ibrox in November.

Balde could now find himself in the dock to give manager Martin O’Neill some concern with big games coming up.

But the Northern Irishman is confident that Chris Sutton and Didier Agathe will be ready to take on Rangers again in the Tennent’s Scottish Cup third round clash on Sunday.

The Englishman scored the winner from the penalty spot against Livingston yesterday which moved Celtic three points clear of their arch rivals at the top of the table.

But it emerged later that he had dragged himself from his sick bed to play and is still feeling the effects of an illness although O’Neill expects him to make a full recovery.

Skipper Jackie McNamara said: “He didn’t train on Saturday so I was glad to see he was well enough to play.

“He is obviously a big player for us and to have your big players playing at this point in the season is a big bonus.

“Chris has always been like that even when he has been asked to play all over and he is a good professional.”

Agathe has not been seen since hurting his groin against Dundee on November 28 but the wing-back is on the mend and has the Ibrox men in his sights.

Celtic warmed up for the eagerly awaited all-Glasgow clash with a win that was far from convincing.

McNamara added: “It was important to get the win but we would have liked it to have been a bit more comfortable.

“Their goalkeeper (Colin Meldrum) pulled off six great saves and we should have wrapped the points up earlier.

“Naturally at the end they had nothing to lose and went for it for the last 10 minutes and Rab (Douglas) made a great save at the end which was vital for us.”