Two incidents between Kilmarnock and Rangers provoked VAR outrage Friday night.
Barry Ferguson won his debut game as temporary head coach of the Scottish Premiership giants.
Rangers rallied from a two-goal deficit to win comfortably 4-2 at Rugby Park.
On 35 minutes, Vaclav Cerny put the visitors back in the game after Killie had taken an early 2-0 lead due to a Joe Wright header and a stunning Brad Lyons goal.
Rangers took advantage of the hosts’ collapse in the second half, with Cyriel Dessers scoring twice in front of the away end before Nedim Bajrami added to the score late on.
Derek McInnes slammed referee’madness’ during his post-match interview with Sky Sports, claiming that Rangers should not have been granted a corner in the buildup to their equaliser.
He stated, “I know the second goal comes from a set play, but it is not a corner.”
“Don Robertson is 10 yards away and really awards the goal kick, but I believe his linesman overruled him from 30 yards away, which is insane, and awarded them a corner.
“We still have to defend the corner, but it wasn’t a corner in the first place, which is unfortunate.
“I believe that was a significant goal in terms of providing them with encouragement in the second half. From then on, it was difficult; the Rangers’ tails were up.
However, two other instances in the game appear to have elicited the strongest reaction from supporters online.
Sticking with the aforementioned questionable corner kick situation, video footage of the goal shows Hamza Igamane hindering Lewis Mayo by running him over Kieran O’Hara’s goalline.
The Killie defender was observed attempting to escape Igamane’s grip but seemed unconcerned as Dessers’ header found the net, implying that he knew he should have been stronger and maintained his ground.
The other unnoticed flashpoint occurred earlier in the game, right before Killie scored their second goal at 15 minutes.
Kyle Magennis and Mohamed Diomande were involved in a violent altercation near the dugouts when the ball seemed to strike the former’s arm.
The Killie midfielder then clipped the ball up the line, which Bobby Wales flicked on to Marley Watkins. Lyons eventually broke with the ball and scored past Jack Butland.
VAR reviewed this goal for both handball and apparent offside against Watkins. It was awarded following a brief check.
Despite the triumph, several Rangers supporters were dissatisfied with the issue, saying that it had to be addressed regardless of the outcome.
However, as stated in the IFAB regulations, the purpose was correct: to stand
According to the IFAB communication, “accidental handball that leads to a team-mate scoring a goal or having a goal-scoring opportunity will no longer be considered an offence.”
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