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DUNDEE United midfield man Paul Paton has launched an astonishing attack on Celtic, accusing them of manipulating referees for years.

The Northern Ireland international says officials never give the Tannadice men a fair crack of the whip against the Hoops – especially in Glasgow.

In an amazing broadside Paton also had a pop at Celtic boss Ronny Deila after he said United defender Ryan McGowan’s challenge on Celtic midfielder Liam Henderson on Wednesday was “career threatening”.

The Parkhead manager had also branded Aidan Connolly a diver after the youngster won a penalty at Tannadice in the original tie that ended in a 1-1 draw .

The Taysiders lost 4-0 to Celtic in Wednesday night’s Scottish Cup quarter-final replay as the League Cup winners booked a return trip to Hampden to face Inverness in the semi-final next month.

However, Paton was seething at the perceived injustices done to his club in the last three games against Celtic .

United have had four players sent off – Calum Butcher, Paul Dixon, Sean Dillon and Ryan McGowan – and looked to have been denied a stonewall penalty at Hampden last Sunday when Celtic skipper Scott Brown barged Ryan Dow over in the box.

Paton said: “Ronny Deila has an opinion on everything but we see things differently.

“Ryan McGowan’s challenge looked like a good tackle to me but that is only my opinion. I will have to see it again to see who is right.

“I don’t really read too much into what Deila has to say or who he puts pressure on but I think Celtic as a club can manipulate people more than Dundee United can.

“That kind of thing has been happening for years.

“We have seen some injustices in the last few games we have played and that causes frustration. It feels we do not get any decisions – and that it is continual.

“There is no edge between the two teams and I think it has been taken out of context as there were not really any bad challenges in Wednesday’s game. It wasn’t a game like that and I don’t think Gowser deserved to get sent off.

“I don’t know if I am being biased but it was a hard tackle and he clearly won the ball.

“I might need to see it again but I don’t think there was much in it and they seemed to make an awful lot of it.”

The 27-year-old also claimed Hoops defender Efe Ambrose should have walked after being booked in the first half of the Parkhead clash – and then going on to commit a string of yellow-card offences.

Paton said: “I thought he was lucky to stay on the park as they were stonewall yellows but we have seen in the last few meetings that we don’t seem to get things like that going for us against Celtic.

“How he stayed on the park I will never know but when you come to places like this you never seem to get these decisions.

“I don’t know if it is just coincidence but you saw last weekend in the League Cup Final we should have had a clear penalty when Scott Brown pushed Ryan Dow in the box.

(Image: Action Images)

“We didn’t get it and then Ambrose should have been sent off when we were on top in the game at Parkhead and it didn’t happen. Small things like that change games.”

Paton also played down the off-the-ball incident that led to Celtic hitman Anthony Stokes being sent off near the end of another ill-tempered match between the sides.

The Irishman left the pitch with a bloodied lip and took to social media site Twitter to have a go at Paton, insisting he had been caught by a “sly elbow” from the United man.

Stokes tweeted: “Great performance. On another note I get a sly elbow in the face by someone that has got nothing about them and get sent off, typical!”

Paton though denied any wrongdoing. He said: “What happens on the pitch stays on the pitch.

“I ran across him and I don’t know if he thinks I meant to hit him but he lashed out and caught me on the side of the face. These things happen during games.

“I stepped across him and I don’t know if I caught him with my leg or my arm, I honestly don’t know but it was most certainly not intentional.”

Paton admits United will have to dust themselves down for tomorrow’s visit to Parkhead on Scottish Premiership duty when the clubs meet again in the final match of their four-in-a-row game sequence.

Paton admitted United are getting to the stage where they are sick of the sight of Celtic.

And as if to rub salt into the wounds the Hoops will be able to welcome back former Dundee United stars Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong for this one.

Paton said: “The first goal on Wednesday was crucial. We gave away a free header and then a long ball for the second.

“It is not good enough and once you go 2-0 down at Celtic Park it is always going to be hard. We are professionals, Celtic are the best team in the country and we have come here and lost 4-0.

“You just have to take it on the chin and get on with it. We are big enough and we will be back here again on Saturday with a clean slate.

“You could say that we really are heartily sick of the sight of them

“We know it won’t be any easier on Saturday and they will have our two former players

available as well.

“Parkhead is a hard place to come and win but we don’t make it easy for ourselves either.”

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