Scottish Premiership club blast VAR as it’s deemed they’re on wrong end of second red card decision in a week
SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP outfit Motherwell say they're fuming at being on the wrong end of a second red card decision in a week.
The Lanarkshire side saw Kofi Balmer sent off just 26 minutes into the weekend clash with Kilmarnock, which they subsequently lost 2-0.
While the fact that the decision was rescinded on appeal today means he can now play in a potential decider against Hearts, they're understandably unhappy about a decision which they reckon directly impacts their chances of reaching the top six.
And their mood isn't improved by the fact that the SFA's KMI panel decreed unanimously that Pape Gueye's 'scissor' challenge on Andy Halliday during the 4-1 defeat to Aberdeen was worthy of a red.
They wrote in a statement: "We can confirm that Kofi Balmer’s red card has been rescinded, and the defender is available to face Hearts on Saturday.
"The club are delighted that the correct decision has eventually been reached.
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"However, this doesn’t get away from the fact Motherwell played with ten men for over 75 minutes in an important fixture just prior to the split.
"This is the second time this season the club has had to go through the time, effort and expenditure to appeal a red card decision.
"We have concerns that VAR felt that this was an obvious refereeing error in the first place.
"Again, the on-field review has come out with the wrong outcome.
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"We spend a significant six-figure sum each season towards the running costs of VAR at the stadium.
"There have been eight instances so far this season where Motherwell have been directly impacted by what has subsequently been deemed an incorrect referee or VAR decision.
"This was as recent as last week when a tackle on Andy Halliday went unpunished, and the SFA’s KMI panel viewed it as a unanimous red card.
"These continued errors throughout the season, for all clubs, will have a direct impact on where teams will finish in the final standings, which obviously determines finances for each club.
"We hope that with the financial commitment put on the club to use VAR, combined with the frustration our fans get from the game due to the intervention from VAR, we see significant improvement in its implementation going forward."
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