Hibs 'getting away with one' is evidence of a team making their own luck - despite outbreak of VAR rage

Ragin’, aren’t they? Not just the Dundee United coaching staff and players. But a whole host of neutrals leaping up and down over the time it took to disallow a goal and – checks notes – a potentially debatable corner kick decision in last night’s humdinger at Tannadice.

If even David Gray can admit that Hibs “got away with one” when Sam Dalby’s header was ruled out for handball following an over-long VAR check on a night of high drama, the Hibs boss clearly had to work extremely hard to prevent his eyes rolling like the wheels on a slot machine as he suggested that United counterpart Jim Goodwin might want to join a long list of managers – himself included – with gripes about big decisions made via video link. Or to put it another way, Dundee United ALMOST got away with one … if only it hadn’t been for that pesky Matthew MacDermid back at VAR HQ.

So, sure, former Hearts and Hibs midfielder Michael Stewart sitting in the Sportscene studio arguing that officials had over-stepped the mark is certainly an interesting take, the outspoken pundit – who half-jokingly said he’d rewatched the clip “74 times” – saying: “There have been a number of different decisions recently where VAR is getting involved – and it really shouldn’t.”

Handball rules applied to ‘letter of law’

There is some logic behind the argument that everything took far too long to settle last night; close to five minutes spent checking an inconclusive angle on offside before moving onto the handball question seems excessive. But VAR isn’t there just for the easy decisions – quite the opposite.

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So complaining when it appears to get one right? Peak Scottish football. And undoubtedly the precursor to every fan in Scotland citing a dozen incidents of dodgy calls against their favourites.

“I think it’s one of those where everyone talks about the letter of the law,” said Gray. “Dalby’s made a fantastic run to get his header and, if it comes off his head and goes in, no-one is asking about it.

“The letter of the law talks about it coming off his arm. The rules are the rules. But we’ve got away with one because Dalby gets to the ball first so close to the goal line.

“On another night we could have found ourselves 2-1 down at a huge moment in the game. But there have been many decisions all season where every manager will feel like they’ve been on the wrong side of VAR.

“It’s been brought into try to improve the game. Hopefully it can do, moving forward.”

If the ‘goal’ complaints were exactly in line with what you’d expect from every single gaffer in the country, the dispute over whether or not Dundee United should have had a corner before Hibs clinched all three points through Kieron Bowie’s brilliant strike is an altogether less relevant argument. Especially as the evidence could never be truly conclusive.

As Stewart put it: “I can understand why Jim Goodman and Dundee United are disappointed with it but take nothing away from Hibs. Because Triantis with the through ball, top class, and the finish from Kieron Bowie as well … that's a sensational finish from Kieran Bowie.

“The corner kick, we slowed it down, Moriah-Welsh gets the first touch, Fiorini comes through and makes contact with it. Yes, it’s spinning but he might have touched that, the last one. I think it's again another one of those ones where, of course VAR is not getting involved, I don't think he can definitively say yes or no to a corner. But if you're Dundee United, of course you're going to be raging.”

Heading into a derby on the back of a 14-game unbeaten run in all competitions, Hibs boss Gray will be the first to admit that no team puts together that sort of sequence without getting the odd rub of the green. He’s mentioned, more than once, incidents like Rangers hitting the post late in the 3-3 draw at Easter Road, or even the weekend decision to disallow Celtic’s ‘equaliser.’

Things that were going against them earlier in the season are now going for them. Call it a balancing of the fates, if you like.

Scotland striker Bowie shines for Hibs

What can’t be denied is that Hibs are earning their good fortune. They’re getting better at withstanding pressure even when their in-possession play isn’t working especially well. And they’ve got quality in key areas – not least on the bench.

Scotland Under-21 star Bowie’s goal was a thing of beauty. Partly because he was the only striker on the books, a naturally left-footed power player, who would have made that run AND finished with such devastating power, Gray noting: “I’m obviously delighted for Kieron because of how he joined the club, then suffered the injury set-back. We had to be really careful with him initially, then he suffered that set-back that kept him out.

“But it’s a real credit to how hard he’s worked, how strong he is mentally, to come through that. He’s been able to work on areas of his game, come back even fitter and stronger than he was before his injury.”

Bowie 2.0 is likely to play a major role against Hearts at Easter Road on Sunday. The turnaround in fortunes for both sides has been one of the remarkable stories of this engrossing Scottish Premiership season. And it’s not over yet.

A home win on Sunday would near enough secure a top-six finish for Hibs. The visitors would move to within a point of their nearest and dearest rivals with a triumph on enemy territory.

The one guarantee? There WILL be big decisions made by on-field referee John Beaton, with or without the support of VAR Nick Walsh. Leaving somebody breathing a sigh of relief over a narrow escape. And somebody absolutely ragin’ …

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