Pundits agree over Hearts disallowed goal vs Kilmarnock as VAR 'description' put to test by key angle
Disallowed goal debate has spawned from the match between Kilmarnock and Hearts.
Andy Halliday believes Hearts’ disallowed goal at Kilmarnock was wrongly ruled out by VAR.
Laurent Mendy’s effort with the Premiership game at 0-0 was deflected into the net by Killie defender Cathal McCarthy. If the shot was deemed to be heading off target then the goal would have stood based on current rules, as despite Mendy’s handball, he would not have been deemed the goalscorer because it then goes down as a McCarthy own goal.
Goalscorer’s can not handle the ball under any circumstances in the build-up to a goal they put away. Presenter Connie McLaughlin said on Premier Sports coverage of the game that ‘VAR's description of it was that it was because it was a goal-scoring opportunity, and the goalscorer had handled the ball,’ that is why it was chopped off. Former Hearts midfielder Halliday agreed with that assessment up until a behind the goal angle he feels proves the ball may have been spinning off target.
Should Hearts goal have stood vs Kilmarnock?
He said: “From that clarification, we're guessing that VAR believes that Laurent Mendy scored the goal. Now, I think from the first two camera angles, you can't really disagree with that. It's another one for me and we see the spin of the ball. To me, it looks as if it's bending outside that post, and then it's diverted in as an own goal by the Kilmarnock defender. If it is going off target, which it does look like in that angle, I think it should count.”
Joe Hugill soon put Kilmarnock ahead before Stephen Kingsley’s late effort secured a 1-1 draw for Hearts. Former Scotland defender Alan Hutton was also on punditry duties and said: “I think we've all got our own opinions. I just feel from the third angle there, it looks like the strike is going off target, and then Cathal McCarthy then heads it in the goal.
“If you just see here, when Mendy, when it just drops there to him, it looks just the way he's contacted with the ball, that it's just going away from the goal, in my opinion. So, therefore, the goal should have stood.”
Andy Halliday on Kilmarnock 1-1 Hearts
Halliday added on the game as a whole: “It was much improved, the second half performance, for Hearts. I thought they played with much more intensity, much more intent. They flung everything at Kilmarnock. You've got to give Kilmarnock credit as well because they defended ever so well for large spells of that second half.
“And the moment came with Stephen Kingsley coming up with a huge goal. It could have been a whole lot better if JJ Williams managed to get his head on a couple of crosses because it was waves of attack. For me, no more than Hearts deserved, to get that equaliser in the end.
“I think Neil McCann (Kilmarnock manager) will have loads of emotions, but fundamentally, I think he'll be really proud of his players. I think they've came under scrutiny, and quite fairly so, given the amount of goals they conceded in the opening part of the season. That's only two goals conceded in the last four games and you can see why. The amount of running I thought they'd done off the ball, closing spaces. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't hold off long enough, with Stephen Kingsley coming up with that massive goal.”
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