VAR correctly overturned five decisions - SFA panel

VAR correctly overturned five "incorrect" decisions during last weekend's six Scottish Premiership games, the Scottish FA's key match incident outcomes panel concluded.

Following the appointment of Willie Collum as head of referees, the governing body this season introduced weekly panels to review decisions.

Last weekend, there were two interventions each at St Johnstone versus Celtic and Rangers against Hibernian, while there was one at the Kilmarnock-Dundee United match.

One of the five panellists thought Celtic forward Daizen Maeda's early volley should have stood, as initially given by referee Don Robertson.

However, the other four decided VAR was correct to rule out the goal for a foul by centre-half Austin Trusty on St Johnstone winger Graham Carey.

Robertson initially ruled out Celtic's second goal in their 6-0 win at McDiarmid Park after an offside flag, but the panel agreed that VAR was right to intervene while noting that it was "a very tight decision and would have been difficult for the assistant referee" to see.

The panel made the same observation when concluding that VAR was correct to intervene after Rangers' winning goal at home to Hibs, scored by midfielder Tom Lawrence, was initially ruled out for offside.

VAR later intervened to advise referee Nick Walsh that Hibs should have been awarded a penalty when John Souttar blocked striker Mykola Kuharevich's shot from within the six-yard box with his arm.

In deciding that VAR was right to intervene, the panel also noted that Walsh was correct not to show a red card to Rangers' centre-half because he was not denying an obvious goal due to the position of goalkeeper Jack Butland, who would go on to save Kuharevich's spot kick.

Dundee United midfielder Craig Sibbald's 79th-minute long-range strike, which pulled his side to within a goal of Kilmarnock at Ruby Park, was initially ruled out by referee Craig Napier for a foul in the build-up.

However, the SFA panel agreed that VAR had been correct to intervene and award the goal, with United adding a late equaliser as the game finished 3-3.