Hearts manager Wouter Vrancken was left furious with a VAR decision that he believes cost his team a victory at Rugby Park. Kilmarnock held the Edinburgh side to a 1-1 draw on Saturday, a result that leaves the Ayrshire club 12th in the Premiership with four points from six matches.
The flashpoint came in the 11th minute when Laurent Mendy's shot was deflected into his own net by Kilmarnock defender Cathal McCarthy. Video assistant referee Matthew MacDermid advised on-field official Duncan Nicolson to disallow the goal for a handball by Mendy in the build-up. Vrancken argued the contact was accidental and that the shot was heading wide before the deflection, meaning the decision robbed Hearts of a legitimate opener.
Late drama salvages point
Hearts had fallen behind earlier when Jamie McCart put through his own goal. They looked set for a second defeat in four days until Stephen Kingsley struck an equaliser from eight yards with just four minutes remaining. That late goal moved Hearts back up to second place in the table, but their manager's focus was squarely on the incident before half-time.
Vrancken spoke to referee Nicolson after the final whistle in blustery conditions at Rugby Park. "We had to score more goals, for sure," Vrancken said. "Obviously, a disallowed goal makes a big difference, because it was not a good decision." He revealed he had taken images of the incident into the dressing room to review with his players, and he referenced a similar goal that was allowed to stand in a past Manchester United match.
The Hearts boss also mentioned a meeting held last week with referees to discuss the laws of the game, which he said made the inconsistency more baffling. "Yes, I just wanted to speak and know the rule, because maybe I was wrong," Vrancken explained of his conversation with the official. "He said, I just got in my ear that the goalscorer touched the ball with his hand."
For Kilmarnock, the draw extends a run of just one win in their last five league outings. Their recent form shows a draw with Aberdeen and a win at Hibernian, but heavy defeats to Dundee United and St Mirren have contributed to their lowly league position and a goal difference of minus nine. They are currently 14 points adrift of leaders Celtic.
The home side were without the injured Michael John Kamara and Robbie Deas for this match. Manager Derek McInnes will now prepare his squad for a tough trip to face second-placed Rangers at Ibrox on October 10th. Fans can check the upcoming schedule, including that fixture, on the fixtures page. The team's current standings show the scale of the challenge ahead as they seek to climb the table.
More detail at Daily Record Football
