Steven Pressley provides VAR verdict on two Hearts decisions vs Dundee as he makes honest red card admission
The former Hearts captain has provided his take after watching his Dundee side lose in Gorgie.
Steven Pressley has provided his verdict on two big VAR decisions during Hearts’ Premiership win over his Dundee team.
The former Jambos skipper was in the opposing manager chair as counterpart Wouter Vrancken watched his team claim a dramatic 2-1 victory. Dundee had been leading 1-0 for a large portion of the match through Bradley Fink’s first half goal but were rocked by injuries to Joe Westley and Finlay Robertson that required stretchers. Ryan Finnigan also went off at half-time with an ankle problem.
VAR spotted a handball by Dundee defender Owen Bevan in the Hearts box and referee Chris Graham pointed to the spot upon review. Zan Besir was sent off for Dundee after Claudio Braga converted the spot-kick, following a heavy challenge on Josh McPake, which Graham concluded was a red upon second inspection. Sabah Kerjota then scored a 97th minute winner, and while one angle gives Pressley some doubt over the Hearts penalty, there’s little arguments over Besir’s red.
Two VAR decisions in Hearts 2-1 Dundee assessed
Pressley said: “I've only seen it from one angle. From the angle that I've seen it, I didn't think his arms were in an unnatural position. I can't be definite on that until I see it from another side. His arms are definitely not out of the side in an unnatural position, but I don't know from another angle how it was. It's difficult for me to say.
“I think it was a red card. I don't think there was any real intent in it. When you watch it back, I don't think it was endangering the opponent, if I'm honest, when I watched it back. But I understand the decision.”
He added on the game: “We're disappointed because we came so close. It was very hard to take and it was a really difficult game to manage with so many enforced changes. We had also players that were trying to bed in, players that have come in that are lacking game time and physicality just now. There were so many things to do.
Steven Pressley on Hearts 2-1 Dundee
“It was a really, really difficult game to manage. “When I consider all the things and challenges that I had, the players were faced with them on the pitch, their attitude and performance was incredible. Not in terms of controlling the game or having periods of possession. We know we need to improve on that, but we had great will and the desire and the determination to try and get a result.
“We're obviously concerned with Joe Westley. We think it could be a fractured cheekbone. We don't know for sure. He’s gone to hospital. There's a little concern around that. Fin Robertson, the outside of his knee, we have a bit of concern around that. And Ryan Finnigan was an ankle injury. He’ll need a scan so it’s too early to have a clear diagnosis on that. It was a challenging afternoon, yet we nearly got a really positive outcome.”