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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Mark Pirie

Kieran Freeman handed unanimous Celtic red card verdict as Dundee United detail missed during 'easy' VAR check

Dundee United defender Kieran Freeman should have been sent off during the clash with Celtic according to the BBC Sportscene pundits.

Ange Postecoglou's side restored their nine point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a comfortable 2-0 victory at Tannadice. The use of VAR was again a key talking point with referee Don Robertson overturning a first half penalty awarded to the visitors following goalkeeper Mark Birighitti's collision with Kyogo Furuhashi, after being sent to review the call on the monitor by Euan Anderson.

With Celtic taking the lead through Jota's header in the second half, Anderson once again called for man in the middle Robertson to review a flashpoint after spotting a handball in the VAR room. A lifted pass into the box by the Portuguese winger was stopped by Freeman's hand, and a penalty was awarded following a review - but both Martin Bartley and Neil McCann reckon the punishment could have been more severe.

The pair stated that while the decision to award the penalty was easy, the 22-year-old should have been shown a second yellow card by Robertson. Queen of the South boss Bartley said when reviewing the penalty call: 'There is no arguing with this one.

"One thing that did surprise me - and I don't want to see players sent off - for me that is a deliberate handball. I'm not sure how Freeman managers to stay on the pitch after his earlier tackle where he was booked, just a couple of minutes earlier. But yeah, that was an easy one."

McCann chimed in: "That was one of the easier ones (VAR decisions). I think the idea behind it (the check) was to see if it was inside or outside. As Marvin said, I don't know how it's not a red card, because it's absolutely deliberate."

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