VAR admission 'a punch in face' for frustrated Hibs gaffer

The VAR Independent Review Panel found this penalty award to Hearts SHOULD have been overturned.

Derby penalty mistake leaves Monty feeling for fans

Hibs boss Nick Montgomery has described this week’s VAR admissions as “a punch in the face” for fans robbed of a famous derby win at Tynecastle. And he believes the TWO incorrect penalty calls revealed by the SFA’s own Independent Review Panel had a major impact on his team’s season.

According to the Scottish FA’s own figures, 26 Key Match Incidents have been called incorrectly over the course of the season. Of most interest to Hibs fans was the admission that referee Kevin Clancy was wrong to award Hearts a penalty, despite reviewing the incident on a pitch-side monitor, in February’s 1-1 draw with their city rivals. It was also confirmed that Hibs SHOULD have been awarded a penalty in the hugely damaging 2-1 home loss to St Johnstone that plunged them into the bottom six with just one game remaining, with Dimitar Mitov clearly fouling Emi Marcondes with the game still goalless.

“Looking at the incidents that came out this week, it’s just another punch in the face, to be honest,” said Montgomery. “To have a derby win taken off us, taken off the fans, the boys who put in the effort to win that game, in an incident that everybody knew was wrong on the night …

“For that to now come out in a report, when everyone knew it was wrong at the time, it’s unacceptable. The big picture, big impact it has on seasons and where teams finish in the league, it’s not good enough.

“Clubs have invested into a VAR system to ensure that we don’t get these decisions wrong in massive games. That is there to help the referees.

“For the VAR to call the referee over in the Hearts game, for instance, he reviews it - and everybody knows it’s wrong. That really does beggar belief.

“So whether they need more education for people on VAR, ultimately it shouldn’t be wrong if it’s reviewed on video and the referee is asked to come over to the monitor. Where is the accountability? Where is the apology for getting something so wrong?

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“I’ve been angry through the season. I can only talk on behalf of Hibs and myself. Everybody can see the impact it’s had on us, in just one of the incidents we’ve spoken about. It’s deflating and disappointing. We have to hope things improve, moving forward, because clubs invest in order to improve decision making.

“Two weeks ago against St Johnstone, Marcondes gets punched in the head by the goalkeeper. That’s a game at nil-nil, massively important to us. If we got 1-0 up, I’m pretty sure the result would be different.

“It’s an incident where it was apparently reviewed and cleared. Now it comes out that it was the wrong decisions. As a manager, it’s hard not to feel hard done by.

“But it’s no excuse. We’re responsible for a lot of the late goals conceded. The self-inflicted defeats and losing points through a lack of concentration, that’s on us – and it happens.

“But when you then have incidents like that, it’s very frustrating. Everybody hopes it improves moving forward – and possibly full-time referees will be introduced at some point.

“I think the decisions that we’ve had this season, especially in the latter part of the season, have really impacted on our season. The apology we received after Aberdeen, the most blatant handball we’ve seen all season. Ross County tomorrow, the last time we were there, they took our throw-in 20 metres up the field and scored from it.

“We can get an apology afterwards. But VAR can’t intervene because he threw the ball on the pitch and the referee didn’t stop the game.”

Asked if VAR was no longer fit for purpose, Montgomery defended some aspects of the system, saying: “Would have, could have, should have. It’s not easy being a referee, that’s why VAR was going to be introduced. And you’re going to get some human error.

“There shouldn’t have been as many errors as there have been. The impact on budgets, on clubs, on supporters, of course you have to take that into account.

“But what they’ll never do is come out and apologise – and then give you the points back. You can’t change it.

“You have to respect the honest feedback, that they’re admitting these decisions were wrong. It’s harder when decisions are wrong and there’s no apology, there’s no acknowledgement.

“I think it’s good when it’s used properly, determining whether a goal is onside or offside. I can see why some countries are against it, although you then have more human error from referees and linesmen.

“It’s about finding the right balance, because the good stuff about it is very good – and the bad stuff gets scrutinised because you really shouldn’t be getting decisions like that wrong, when you review it on video. That’s the most frustrating thing for any manager.

“They say it evens out over the season. It definitely hasn’t for us. Maybe we’ll get a lot of decisions next season. You have to be positive and think maybe we’ll get the rub of the green next season – but what you really want is consistency and trust in the officials to officiate the game to the level of the league, which is really high.”