Phoenix seek legal advice after red card

With no further avenue of appeal, the Wellington Phoenix are seeking legal advice over the VARinvolved sending off and subsequent automatic suspension for defender Tim Payne.

Payne was sent off in the 56th minute of the Phoenix’s 2-2 draw with the Perth Glory in Palmerston North on Saturday.

The Phoenix submitted an obvious error application to Football Australia, which was considered by the A-League’s independent match review panel on Monday. It decided no obvious error was made in the issuing of the red card and denied the application.

With emotions running high at the Phoenix in the wake of the weekend’s draw, a frustrated general manager David Dome is calling for additional funding and investment for referees and a review of the disciplinary and dispute regulations as the club issued a statement yesterday.

Payne was initially shown a yellow card by referee Lachlan Keevers after Perth’s David Williams went down in a challenge from the All Whites defender, but VAR came into play when video assistant referee Alex King told Keevers to take another look.

That look resulted in a lengthy delay and ultimately a determination that the Glory had been denied a clear goalscoring opportunity and Payne was sent from the field.

In yesterday’s statement, the Phoenix said in their view the VAR should not have got involved and due process was not followed.

‘‘It is the club’s contention that there was no clear and obvious error made by the referee and therefore the VAR should not have intervened,’’ the Phoenix statement read.

The Phoenix say it wasn’t in the match review panel’s remit to consider whether the VAR correctly intervened.

The club believes that is the key issue.

As it stands, Payne is suspended for Friday’s away clash with the struggling Melbourne Victory but the Phoenix are seeking legal advice as there is no avenue to appeal Payne’s sanction.