IT didn’t take long for the all-seeing eye of VAR to get involved at Easter Road.
Only eight minutes had elapsed in the capital before referee Kevin Clancy was pressing his earpiece up against the side of the head as Willie Collum, sat in the Scottish FA’s video review hub in Glasgow, ran the rule over a booking to Martin Boyle.
The Australia internationalist was booked for simulation after taking a tumble in the box and as the forward protested the decision, Clancy consulted Collum on the decision.
Yellow-card offences in and of themselves are not usually subject to VAR but in this instance, Collum watched the incident back as it took place inside the box. If he had been fouled then it would have resulted in a penalty being awarded – an area where VAR can intervene – but Collum ruled that Boyle had dived, and so Clancy was not required to take a look at the pitchside monitor.
Mykola Kukharevych opened the scoring for Lee Johnson’s side with 10 minutes of the first half left to play and there was a slight delay before the match restarted with St Johnstone kicking off. Saints winger Connor McLennan was robbed of possession by Chris Cadden in the build-up and felt he was fouled in the process.
As the move ended with a goal, VAR had a look. The incident itself took place around 30 seconds before Kukharevych steered a header past Saints goalkeeper Remi Matthews and back at headquarters, Collum cast his eye over the challenge from multiple angles.
Again, Clancy could be seen cupping his ear to hear his colleague’s advice and after a tense minute or so, the home fans roared with approval as the screens at Easter Road announced that VAR had given the goal the all-clear. Collum felt that Cadden’s tackle was fair and as a result, Clancy avoided a trip to the pitchside monitor.
Kyle Magennis’ evening was cut short after the Hibs midfielder picked up a second yellow card of the evening midway through the second half but this was a decision where VAR would not be able to intervene. Straight red-card offences are reviewed as a matter of course but second bookings are not – unless there has been a case of mistaken identity.
When St Johnstone equalised through Nicky Clark’s header from a corner, Collum was again called into action back at the SFA’s VAR headquarters. The striker bumped into the back of Ryan Porteous at the set-piece as the centre-back fell to the floor but once again, he ruled that Clancy’s original decision was correct and did not require further examination. Collum judged that there had not been sufficient contact between Clark and Porteous; therefore, Clancy was not required to give the goal a second look pitchside.
Stevie May’s 82nd-minute winner was also checked by the video referee but this was merely a formality, as VAR runs the rule over every goal scored, regardless of how it came about. There was no suggestion of a foul in the build-up and it was no surprise when May’s effort was given the all-clear.
There was still time for some late drama, though. A challenge from Jamie Murphy on Boyle in the Saints box had Clancy pointing at the spot and the decision was soon referred to VAR. In the end, Collum didn’t have to consider Murphy’s tackle as it transpired that Tavares was offside in the build-up. Clancy was informed of the infringement via a quick word in his ear and after a delay of a minute or so, the free-kick was correctly awarded to the visitors.
