John Beaton verdict on Hearts red card delivered as KMI Panel reveal view on 2 key Celtic VAR calls
John Beaton has been backed unanimously by the SFA's Key Match Incident Panel over the Hampden red card dished out to Hearts defender Michael Steinwender. The 43rd minute flashpoint saw the Jambos reduced to 10-men with the Scottish Cup semi final firmly in the balance at 1-1. Beaton ordered Steinwender off after the Austrian hauled down Topi Keskinen as the Dons ace raced through on goal. But Hearts boss Neil Critchley took issue with the official immediately after the game, which his side went on to lose 2-1 in extra time after being reduced to nine men with Cammy Devlin seeing a second yellow. Critchley blasted: 'I've never seen a referee get a red card out quicker in my entire life. It's a long way from goal and we've got recovering defenders. He couldn't wait to send him off.' A VAR check cleared Beaton's on-field decision to send Steinwender packing. And having reviewed the incident the five-person independent KMI Panel agreed unanimously with a note on their outcome simply saying 'the on-field decision was unanimously supported'. Hearts released a furious statement two days after the semi final in which they demanded answers over Beaton's decision to book Devlin twice, the second of which arrived in the 116th minute and just moments before Aberdeen netted a winner. The Tynecastle club asked for an acceptance the referee had got it wrong. However, the KMI team only review VAR incidents - and as video assistants can't intervene in yellow cards neither of Devlin's bookings went before the panel. Meanwhile the VAR team were also backed over two decisions in Celtic's 5-0 thrashing of St Johnstone in the second semi final. Referee Calum Scott was called to the monitor after Saints striker Mackenzie Kirk's spectacular goal looked to have reduced the Hoops' lead to 4-1. However a foul was spotted in the build-up and the goal was ruled out. The KMI Panel noted: 'The majority (4:1) of the panel agreed that VAR was correct to intervene and recoomend an OFR for a possible foul in the build up and then correct to disallow the goal after review.' Scott then awarded Celtic a penalty for a foul on James Forrest by Daniels Balodis only to over-rule his decision having been sent to the monitor again. The KMI verdict read: 'The panel unanimously agreed that the on-field decision was incorrect. The panel believed VAR was correct to intervene and recommend an OFR to cancel the award of a penalty kick.
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