JAMIE ROBSON has called for VAR to be used in Scottish football’s showpiece occasions after the Hibernian goal that killed off Dundee United in Saturday’s Scottish Cup semi-final was shown to be scored from an offside position.
Robson says he knew right away that Hibs striker Christian Doidge was offside when Martin Boyle passed the ball to him, and couldn’t believe it when the assistant referee didn’t raise his flag.
Had VAR been in use, the goal would surely have been ruled out, and United full-back Robson says that the time has come to give our officials some help to arrive at the correct decisions.
“I could see right across the line because he was offside on the right hand side,” said Robson. “There was no doubt that he was offside.
“I had my hand up and I was screaming for the offside decision. I was shouting at the referee but he gave the goal and at that point you know he isn’t going to change his mind.
“It would be great to get VAR in, especially at the national stadium for these big games. I know it costs a lot of money, but even if they were to bring it in for the semi-finals and finals. These games are televised so surely it can’t be that hard to do.
“I know they have it in England and I don’t think it will be too long before it is introduced in other countries and up here. It will just be too late for us. unfortunately.
“It would be a good thing, especially if it was in play on Saturday because it would have kept us in the game. It would have given us a fighting chance. Certainly, if the goal had been given for us I would have classed it as a controversial decision.
“The offside goal really has killed us. If the game was still 1-0 then you know that it only takes one goal and you are right back in it. When you are 2-0 down you need a big turnaround to get the game to extra-time.
“It was a big disappointment. We still had chances after that and we didn’t take them. Hibs took their chances and fair play to them.
“We were 2-0 down and we were trying to throw everything at it to try and get back into the game.
“It opened up for us to create chances but we weren’t clinical enough. Even myself, I had a good chance and I should have scored.
“That just summed up our day.”
What was perplexing for Robson was why United failed to hit the heights of the previous round, where they wiped the floor with Aberdeen in a 3-0 victory at Pittodrie.
“I couldn’t really put my finger on it,” he said. “It was just one of those days.
“If we had scored first and gone 1-0 up then it would have been a different game. They got the goal and that was a bit of a dampener and then they got the second.
“That was the end of the game.”
Thankfully for Robson, the edge was taken off a sombre bus trip back up to Dundee by the waiting party at home, with his baby son Reuben still a little bit too young to feel the sting of a Scottish Cup semi-final defeat.
“It was a good spirit lifter to see my son and my girlfriend, Holly,” he said.
“They were both waiting for me. I fed the wee man and it helped to take my mind off things.
“It was a bit too early for him to watch the game but he had his Dundee United kit on.”
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