McINNES CAN’T RESIST POP AT VAR AFTER ANOTHER STALEMATE WITH DUNDEE
AFTER the three previous league games between these sides had ended all square this season, the smart money was on another draw at Dens yesterday.
That’s exactly what transpired, but there was certainly plenty of drama as the match progressed to suggest that the sequence of stalemates would finally come to a shuddering halt.
This game was a slow burner but burst into life when the visitors took a first-half lead through Gary Mackay-Steven, with the home side hitting back before the break thanks to captain Luke McCowan after a VAR check for offside.
Killie hit the bar twice in the second half and had Robbie Deas sent off late on before Dundee missed a last-gasp penalty.
Once the dust had settled, a draw was once again a fair result to round off what has been a season of success for both sides.
Kilmarnock had already secured fourth place and can look forward to a European adventure next season, so the last thing boss Derek McInnes wanted was to finish the campaign by complaining about VAR. However, the 52-year-old was left irate by the decision to award the Dundee goal.
McInnes said: ‘I couldn’t believe VAR never turned their goal over. I am hearing maybe there was a pillar interfering with the lines for VAR, I don’t know.
‘I don’t want to finish the season moaning about VAR — I really, really don’t — but I do feel that it was a bit of a shock.
‘We wouldn’t have been too disappointed with 1-1 at the start of the game but we had to dig deep.’
There was little between the sides in the opening stages of the game with both teams taking time to settle. However, the deadlock was finally
broken in the 24th minute. Killie counter-attacked down the left through Fraser Murray, who cut in and hit a shot which was blocked, but the ball eventually found its way to Mackay-Steven and the former Dundee United star made no mistake, firing past Jon McCracken in the home goal.
The winger had a chance to double his tally but his curling shot from just inside the Dundee box flew wide of McCracken’s right-hand post.
However, Dundee did finally threaten and equalised in the 37th minute. Scott Tiffoney squared the ball to skipper McCowan, who smashed a shot into the back of the net past Killie keeper Will Dennis.
The Dark Blues’ joy was initially short-lived with the assistant referee signalling for offside against Tiffoney, but, after a lengthy VAR check, that decision was overturned and McCowan was able to celebrate his 10th goal of the season.
Killie’s Marley Watkins came close to netting after the break when he nodded in a Murray cross but the ball cannoned off the bar with McCracken beaten.
Incredibly, Killie were denied by the woodwork once again in the 64th minute when a superb, curling free-kick from Murray smashed against the crossbar.
Killie were reduced to 10 men in the 85th minute when Deas, who had been booked earlier, was shown a second yellow and then a red after he fouled Dundee sub Dara Costelloe. The referee had initially booked Stuart Findlay but a ‘mistaken identity’ VAR check rubber stamped Deas’ dismissal.
Dundee passed up a gilt-edged chance to secure the points three minutes later when they were awarded a penalty after Liam Donnelly caught Costelloe. McCowan stepped up but sent his spot-kick wide of the post.
Tony Docherty may have failed to gain the upper hand over his good pal Derek McInnes but the Dundee boss preferred to focus on what his team have achieved overall this season, securing a top-six finish.
The 53-year-old said: ‘It’s been even with Kilmarnock all season, I think we could have shook hands before the game and said, “Right, okay, let’s take a draw”!
‘I spoke to the players to say it is important they realise what they have achieved as the newlypromoted team and hot favourites to get relegated — to put in a top-six campaign is nothing short of fantastic.’