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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Robbie Hanratty

Aberdeen vs Rangers penalty incident fails to get full KMI panel backing

In a recent review by the Scottish FA's Key Match Incident (KMI) Panel, opinions were divided regarding the VAR decision that awarded Aberdeen a penalty during their thrilling 2-1 victory over Rangers last month.

Aberdeen initially took the lead in the first half thanks to a well-placed goal from Nicky Devlin.

Then as Jimmy Thelin's team aimed to extend their advantage before half-time, VAR stepped in to assess a pivotal moment in the match.

The incident in question involved Rangers centre-back John Souttar, who was deemed to have handled the ball inside the penalty area - a call that went unnoticed by the on-field referee, John Beaton.

After a detailed review process, the decision was made to award a penalty to the home side.

The opportunity to double their lead at Pittodrie fell to Republic of Ireland international Jamie McGrath, but his effort from 12 yards was easily saved by Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland.

(Image: SNS Group) Despite this setback, Aberdeen managed to ride any Rangers pressure, with substitute Shayden Morris scoring the decisive goal just 16 minutes from full-time, following a temporary equaliser from Nedim Bajrami that had brought Rangers back into contention.

This victory not only solidified Aberdeen's impressive start to the Scottish Premiership season under Thelin but also created a significant nine-point gap between them and third-placed Rangers.

Thelin - who was voted Glen's Vodka Manager of the Month for October - celebrated the remarkable achievement of securing 15 wins from his first 16 matches. A magnificent run which was ended by Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final last weekend.


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(Image: SNS Group) The latest KMI report released by the SFA shows that one of the five panel members expressed the view that VAR should not have intervened in the scenario involving Souttar, arguing that the penalty decision was unwarranted.

"The panel discussed this decision at length with the majority (4:1) deeming the on-field decision incorrect," the report on Friday said. 

"The majority (4:1) believed VAR was correct to intervene and award a penalty for handball. One panelist believed that a penalty should not have been awarded and VAR was incorrect to intervene."

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