HIBERNIAN manager Lee Johnson last night claimed that his centre half Ryan Porteous had been pushed off the ball in the build up to St Johnstone’s equaliser at Easter Road last night.
VAR was used for the first time ever in a domestic fixture in Scotland in the cinch Premiership match in Leith last night.
Hibs took the lead through Mykola Kuarevich in the first-half – then allowed their opponents to come from behind and triumph thanks to Nicky Clark and Stevie May goals in the second.
Johnson revealed that Porteous had been shoved in the back when Melker Hallberg played a corner to Clark shortly after Kyle Magennis had been sent off.
But the Englishman admitted it would have been hard for the VAR officials to chalk the goal off on the evidence of the footage they reviewed.
“I don't think the numerical advantage had any effect on the goals they scored,” he said. “You have got to defend crosses.
“But for their first one, Porto is convinced he took one in the back. He does take one in the back, there's no doubt in that. But even with bias it looks a little bit soft to be giving us a foul.
“It is difficult because how do we really know how much force went into that? There are two hands in the lower back. But it doesn't look like there was enough force for VAR to change the decision, which is clearly what happened.”
Asked for his thoughts on VAR, Johnson added: “It was all right. I suppose you are looking for that justice. I don't think we were at the mercy of any teething problems, it seemed okay.
“I didn't like the check when we scored, I think they were maybe questioning whether Cadden fouled in the build-up. I knew it was a good tackle, but you still have that anxious couple of minutes, well it feels like a couple-of-minutes wait.
“But they got the decision right. I think overall for a first game you have to give credit to the officials both here and in Glasgow in the office.”
