Furious Lee Johnson has demanded Scottish officials get over the novelty of their "new toy" in VAR and let common sense take over. Meanwhile even Jim Goodwin couldn't help but admit the stopping and starting distracted from a handsome win for his side.
Aberdeen ran out comfortable 4-1 winners over Hibs on the night but there was an air of the farcical about the first goal as a lengthy VAR delay awarded the Dons a penalty, with David Marshall eventually adjudged to have brought Duk down in the area. The former Scotland keeper then saved Bojan Miovski's spot-kick, before another VAR stoppage ordered a retake - which the striker converted.
That led to a snarky tweet from Hibs simply reading "your guess is as good as ours" but it set the tone for a comfortable Dons win from there. Miovski added another and Ylber Ramadani put it out of sight, before Mykola Kukharevych pulled one back - a goal that was initially ruled out for offside before another prolonged VAR check. Leighton Clarkson made it four and put Aberdeen in third place, but the football itself did feel like a sideshow on a night where all the headlines were dominated by the technology.
Here is some of the best post-match reaction from both camps.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen boss Goodwin wasn't for letting the VAR drama take the shine off a handsome win for his team. But even the buzzing Pittodrie gaffer couldn't sidestep the fact the technology took over.
He said: “I’m not going to gloat and suggest we gave Hibs a going-over because we didn’t. 4-1 flatters us a bit. I did feel the first goal was going to be huge and it’s probably going to be a big talking point, but the decision has gone in our favour.
“VAR’s been in place all over the world for years and the main aim is to get the big calls right more often than not. My concern about the first one was that I thought Duk was offside (for the first goal). I did feel he got there first and that Marshall went to ground and there must have been contact. Thankfully it went for us, there’ll be occasions when it’ll go against us.
“I know it’ll be the talking point. The length of time it takes to get to a decision, but I don’t mind how long it takes as long as it gets to the right decision.
“It was really important that we got the three points back of Hibs that they got at Easter Road. For us to beat Hearts and Hibs at home the way we have is brilliant.”
Hibs
Hibs' social media accounts gave a hint at some of the fury within the home ranks at Easter Road as one tweet just read "your guess is as good as ours" after Miovski's second penalty attempt went in. And manager Johnson certainly echoed those sentiments as he didn't hold back in his post-match media duties, demanding officials stop treating VAR like a new toy that has to be played with.
He said: "We've been on the wrong side of (VAR). The delay and the timing, especially when you've got momentum, is frustrating. If you look at it enough times, you'll find a way to say it's a penalty. That's how I see it, particularly when it's slowed down, and it was ridiculous how long it took.
"That proved to me it wasn't clear and obvious and at that point the game's got to move on. I think there were nine extra minutes played in the first half. They've got to be quicker. I know it's new but they've got to be quicker and brighter.
"If it's not clear and obvious, then it's not a penalty. But they want to play the game because they've got a new toy.
"I know I'm looking at it from a position of bias but I don't think it's a penalty. I don't. I think (Duk) is expecting it; I think he's going down early and David Marshall doesn't really touch him with his hands.
"If anything, the momentum of Duk leaving his leg in and then Marshall coming across. But the ball's off the pitch by that point. In my opinion it wasn't a pen and it was frustrating because I could see it on the little screen. I haven't enjoyed VAR so far - even our goal came from poor officiating."
He continued the rant on Sportsound as he added: "I didn't feel it was clear and obvious and it took an age to get through. If it takes that long, it's probably not, but I suppose I am bias in that sense.
"The one he's off his line you can't really argue with as that's the rule. I think that (going to the monitor) goes with a subliminal bias as he's hearing he needs to check a decision.
"If you look at the numbers, for every 1,000 times the ref has gone to the VAR screen, maybe 998 of those they've stuck with the programme from inside."
READ NEXT
