Whether it be on the field or in the video assistant referee chair – there was little chance Tuesday's powderkeg fixture between Aberdeen and Rangers was going to pass without incident.
And so it proved as Scott Arfield netted twice in the dying embers to secure an improbable 3-2 win for Michael Beale's men after sweet strikes from Duk Lopes and Leighton Clarkson had the Red Army dreaming of a first home win over the fierce rivals in six-and-a-half years.
But that's not to say there wasn't big calls before for Willie Collum. The widely-agreed opinion was he handled the flow of the game well but perhaps his decision to dish out 10 yellow cards was excessive in a fixture which only truly erupted once when Aberdeen stars had John Lundstram in their cross hairs after an industrial challenge on Marley Watkins. And there were three big penalty cries from punters with two for Aberdeen and one for Rangers. Ibrox boss Beale reckons the non-call on Ross McCrorie could have gone the other way. While followers of the Dons were appealing for a spot kick on Ibrox skipper James Tavernier and against Connor Goldson seconds before Arfield turned home the winner.
Record Sport casts an eye over the big talking points
James Tavernier handball claim
An early shout in the Granite City as Tavernier's contact from a teasing Aberdeen cross ended up crashing off the post and out for a corner. Jayden Richardson's ball to the back stick had the captain on high alert with star man Duk touch tight and ready to pounce.
Collum did consult VAR but after a check it was decided to play on. The Tavernier shouts comes down to two key factors – the low threshold for penalties against handball since the introduction of VAR and the less than compelling TV angle which was offered to viewers.
Let's take the first point, the award against Celtic star Matt O'Riley against Ross County may well be the clubhouse leader in terms of soft awards this season so anytime a player appears to move their arm to the ball then outcry follows. From the Sky footage behind the goal it does appear the Englishman arm moves to the ball but punters would like to see more replay themselves.
Penalty? VAR said no but Tavernier’s arm is away from his body and it does appear to hit the ball.
Ross McCrorie handball claim
Rangers fans teased it was such a stonewaller it forced former Celtic star Andy Walker into an instant hush when Sky aired the replay. Ibrox players, punters and their manager were left utterly convinced their former player McCrorie handled Alfredo Morelos' cross with Kent battling to beat him to the ball. The Colombian was incensed.
The broadcast stated a check took place but it didn't have the traditional pause element as the action headed straight back up the other end of the pitch. The call was crucial as it minutes after Clarkson's stunning strike at the other end.
In real time and with the one angle available to the watching audience, this feels the most compelling case for a spot kick as it appears it hits McCrorie's arm first before it rebounds off his body with his hand is drawn towards the ball. We'll lean on IFAB's much discussed rules on what is handball and they state: "It is an offence if a player: deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball." It appears McCrorie's attempt falls into the bracket.
But once again Collum was not asked to consult his pitchside monitor by VAR.
Connor Goldson handball claim
The most natural reaction to losing a game you were winning 120 seconds earlier is claiming for handball. Goldson's arm and body moved towards the ball as aimed to control it, of that there is no doubt, but VAR believes the Ibrox stopper didn't handle it as his touch was neatly finished by big-game hunter Arfield.
However, the angle shown to viewers again offered no definitive verdict and those making the call remotely felt comfortable Goldson didn't handle it and tee up his team-mate. Despite the mammoth stakes over the decision - it feels the least emotive of the big three in question.
The final verdict
Another point to factor in is this is only the second round of fixtures since the five-week break for the World Cup. VAR – as it did in England and other countries when first introduced – settled and became less of a focal point. The shiny new toy syndrome, if you will.
SFA chief Ian Maxwell spoke during the break over the productive meeting between clubs and decision makers overs the early successes and failures of VAR during its first run and how it will be used going forward.
The other big takeaway from punters in the wake of the Pittodrie clash is the lack of angles on display. The call on Tavernier is the perfect example of this. It does appear his hand moves towards the ball but it would be useful to see it from the correct view rather than from behind. The one thing every fan was saying after the match – gives us more angles of the big incidents, please.
And it's the same end of the pitch which shows McCrorie's handball claim from the reverse angle and adds weight to the argument it was a spot-kick.
Has the VAR threshold over handballs been modified? It's early days but it feels like there's been a shift over the break. Time will tell, though.
