3 Dundee talking points as penalty controversy denies Dee salvation - what is the point of VAR?

The Courier

15-05-2025

Dundee and drama go hand in hand.
Wednesday night's clash with Ross County, though, took that strange marriage to a whole new level.
Edging towards safety after a not-so-perfect performance that just about deserved all three points, suddenly the ball flicks Antonio Portales on the hand and all hell breaks loose across Scottish football.
Dundee's safety is now not assured, St Johnstone's relegation is now sealed and suddenly Ross County can scramble to safety despite that being their single point gained from the last 24 available.
There is more to any season than one moment but some of those moments carry huge weight.
That's what happened at Dens Park on Wednesday.
Dundee were on the verge of victory, match reports had been completed and County's attack was desperate.
Then a Ryan Astley header flicks team-mate Portales on the hand on its way out of the Dundee area.
A minor infraction that in past seasons would have spelt trouble for a defender. This season, though, the guidance for referees has been to avoid punishing minor handballs with major repercussions.
That is to the credit of the Scottish referee system. It felt like after a chaotic VAR learning curve officials were getting to grips with some things.
This handball decision completely flew in the face of that.
This was not a penalty.
Referees are human and mistakes are made all the time. This is why we have VAR as a safety net.
Why it was not used to avoid this farce is incredible.
Ref Nick Walsh made his decision too quickly and, in the process, completely dispensed with any of the safeguards VAR provides.
If he doesn't give it and it turns out it should have been given, VAR is always there to recommend he reviews the decision.
But because the decision could be justified by the absolute mess of a handball rule, VAR would not intervene to over-rule.
This grey area of not being wrong enough to warrant a VAR review has left Dundee and St Johnstone in the mire.
With a decision this big in a match that effectively decides relegation for clubs and all that can follow, why the referee wasn't given the opportunity to review his decision on the monitor to make absolutely certain of the decision beggars belief.
Why do we have VAR if it doesn't pick up bad, bad decisions like this?
Aside from the refereeing decision that overshadowed the entire evening, there was another 90-plus minutes of football on show.
Dundee had been poor in the first half but held it at 0-0 and then came out far better in the second period, bringing save after save from County goalie Jordan Amissah.
The spark in the second period came from a real moment of quality from Lyall Cameron.
His throughball for Scott Tiffoney's goal was played to perfection, cutting open the defence and setting the speedy winger away.
Tiffoney's finish, too, was excellent.
Even amid a poor first half that saw Dundee struggle to create, it was Cameron trying to get things going in midfield.
And second half he proved the difference between the sides to follow up his double at Kilmarnock last weekend.
Just when Dundee need big players stepping up, Cameron has done that.
Though they don't want to lose him, everyone of a dark blue persuasion will be hoping Wednesday was his final game as a Dundee player at Dens Park.
If it isn't, that means Cameron's final match before heading to Rangers will be in a play-off to avoid relegation.
This, though, was a good way to sign off. And the ovation he got from fans at Dens Park when coming off with four minutes left spoke volumes.
Big games have brought big moments from Cameron this week, another one on Sunday would finish his time off at the club nicely.
Dundee still have a big job to do. Avoid defeat at St Johnstone on Sunday and Premiership safety will be assured – technically Ross County can win 7-0 and overhaul the Dee after a draw but that's not going to happen.
If they are unable to get the job done against already-relegation Saints then they deserve to be in trouble.
Approach this game correctly, though, and the prize on offer should focus minds.
The anger burning through the entire squad after Wednesday's injustice should fuel them, too.
In the grand scheme of things, prior to the Wednesday fixture Dundee would have taken a draw rather than the horror of a defeat.
Safety is still in Dundee's hands. They must finally grab it.