Celtic skipper Scott Brown says he would be facing calls to be banned if he was responsible for the kind of challenge that saw Hoops team-mate Jeremie Frimpong carried off against Kilmarnock.

Rugby Park midfielder Alan Power scythed down the Dutch-born Ghanaian teenager during the closing stages of the champions’ 3-1 win in Ayrshire but the Irishman escaped without punishment.

However, Brown believes it would have been a different story if he had served up the shocking lunge and has called on Scotland’s officials to brush up their consistency levels.

Brown said: “I think if I’d done that tackle, it would become reckless, everyone would have surrounded the ref and stuff like that.

“We’ve seen it back and both feet are off the ground.

“If I’m in that situation, there would be a lot of people, a lot of punters, a lot of fans putting pressure on me to get a suspension and to get sent off.

“I think it’s the levels (of refereeing) we want maintained so that the same thing happens in every single game.”

Meanwhile, Celtic coach Neil Lennon is hopeful Frimpong’s injury is not as bad as first feared and will amount to no more than some bruising, making him available for Saturday’s visit of Ross County.

That casualty concern apart, it was another good night’s work for the Hoops as they held on to their Ladbrokes Premiership lead.