SFA panel rule on Rangers penalty claim, Aberdeen red card escape and disallowed Celtic goal as 4 errors made

St Mirren were the team impacted most with two incorrect decisions going against them in their 2-0 defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice. Rangers were also wrongly denied a penalty in their 1-0 win at St Johnstone while Aberdeen should have had a man sent off in their 1-1 draw at Hearts.

The panel ruled, however, that the correct decision was made to disallow a Celtic goal in their 1-0 midweek win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie when Paulo Bernardo's corner-kick sailed straight into the net after Daizen Meada was penalised for a foul on goalkeeper Ross Doohan. "The on-field decision was unanimously supported," the report read. "The panel highlighted that the whistle had been blown before the ball entered the goal making it impossible for VAR to intervene."

The Key Match Incident panel, made up of five individuals with Scottish football expertise, meets each week to examine major incidents from the previous weekend's matches before voting on whether the on-field decision and any subsequent VAR interventions were correct. The latest review released on Friday, December 6, covered the matches which took place on the weekend of Saturday, November 30 and Sunday, December 1, as well as the midweek card on Wednesday, December 4.

It found that two major errors were made in the Dundee United v St Mirren match on Saturday. Firstly, the decision not to recommend a VAR review for Dundee United goalkeeper Jack Walton’s challenge on St Mirren's Toyosi Olusanya was deemed to be incorrect. Referee Matthew MacDermid awarded a yellow card but the panel felt that the tackle merited a red. The report read: "The panel discussed this decision at length with the majority (4:1) deeming the onfield decision incorrect. The majority (4:1) believed VAR should have intervened to recommend an OFR review for a red card as the challenge endangered the safety of an opponent. One panelist believed that a yellow card was sufficient and VAR was correct not to intervene."

St Mirren defender Marcus Fraser’s red card against Dundee United had already been rescinded following a fast track tribunal hearing this week and the KMI panel agreed that the decision to upgrade the yellow card to red for denying a goalscoring opportunity following a VAR check was a mistake. Fraser conceded a penalty for the second time in the match when he pulled down United substitute Louis Moult in the box but the panel felt the offence was not worthy of a sending off, albeit by a narrow majority.

"The panel discussed this decision at length with the majority (3:2) deeming the on-field decision of a yellow card correct," the report stated. "The majority (3:2) believed that VAR incorrectly intervened to suggest an OFR for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity. Three members of the panel highlighted that they didn't think it was clear and obvious enough for VAR to become involved. Two panel members believed that VAR was correct to intervene and recommend an OFR for a red card to be awarded as they deemed the offence to be denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity."

However, the panel ruled that the penalty award itself was correct despite St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson protesting otherwise. "The majority (4:1) of the panel deemed the on-field decision of a penalty-kick to be correct. One panel member felt the holding wasn't sufficient and that a VAR intervention should have taken place to recommend overturning the penalty award."

Meanwhile, Rangers can feel aggrieved at not being awarded a penalty at McDiarmid Park on Sunday after the panel found that VAR was wrong not to intervene over a missed handball from St Johnstone defender Jack Sanders in the 25th minute while the match was still goalless. The report stated: "The panel discussed this decision at length with the majority (3:2) deeming the onfield decision incorrect. The majority (3:2) believed VAR should have intervened to recommend an OFR for handball. Two panel members believed that a penalty should not have been awarded and VAR was correct not to intervene." Rangers eventually won the three points courtesy of a second-half own goal from Jason Holt.

There was also a missed red card for Aberdeen defender Jack Milne with the panel determining the Dons player should have been sent off for an 89th-minute challenge on Beni Baningime where he caught the Hearts midfielder on his ankle. Referee Kevin Clancy deemed the challenge legal and a VAR review at the time concluded that there should be no punishment.

The SFA’s KMI panel disagreed, stating: “The panel discussed this decision at length with the majority (4:1) deeming the onfield decision incorrect. The majority (4:1) believed VAR should have intervened to recommend an OFR for a red card as the challenge endangered the safety of an opponent. One panelist believed that VAR was correct not to intervene for a red card as the point of contact was low.”