Dundee's defeat at Kilmarnock sparks more VAR confusion as boss Tony Docherty reveals SFA talks planned

The Courier

10-05-2025

Dundee boss Tony Docherty has been left demanding answers for the second week running after another VAR controversy in the 3-2 defeat at Kilmarnock that left his side still mired in the relegation battle
With Killie leading thanks to a first-half Danny Armstrong penalty, referee Don Robertson was called over to the monitor after the break to check on a possible spot-kick for the Dark Blues.
Simon Murray appeared to be pushed by home skipper Kyle Vassell.
But, despite being made to wait by the screen for a considerable time, Robertson was not shown any footage of the incident by VAR official Gavin Duncan.
Instead, it was decided the collision came outside the box so did not fall under VAR's remit.
After having a goal chalked off by VAR in last weekend's 2-1 defeat to Motherwell, it was yet another contentious moment involving the Dens Park outfit.
Vowing to quiz the Scottish FA's head of referee operations, Willie Collum, Docherty said: 'Unfortunately, I can't clear that up because I've just been seen speaking to the referee, to Don Robertson himself, and he couldn't clear it up for me.
'There's still confusion 15, 20 minutes after the game, exactly what happened.
'The explanation to me was that the referee was called over to the monitor. He gave an on-field decision that he didn't think it was a penalty.
'He was then called over by the VAR and the sequence they went through was to check if it was onside, first of all.
'It was onside and then the decision made was that it was outside the box.
'They never showed the referee an image.
'I've watched the image and it's inside the box and, by the letter of the law, that contact being inside the box, it's a penalty kick.
'Listen, I don't want to be this manager. that comes in every week and talks about referees' decisions.
'But the referee was called over and then was not shown an image. I don't understand that.
'I've spoken to him [Robertson] since I came back in. He's a good guy, Don, he's a good referee; one of the best, I think.
'I think there's an element of, whether it's, embarrassment and confusion for him as well, that he's got called across and then not shown an image.'
Lyall Cameron did level things up for Dundee in the 76th minute but just a minute later Bruce Anderson nodded in a Liam Donnelly cross to restore Killie's advantage.
They stretched that lead in the first minute of injury-time when Robbie Deas nodded in an Armstrong corner.
But, again, Cameron gave Dundee hope four minutes later, only for the home side to hang on.
The defeat leaves Dundee in third-bottom but still not safe from the drop with two games remaining.
With basement side St Johnstone now within five points of the Dark Blues, a win on Wednesday against Ross County, who are two points below, will be enough to avoid both automatic relegation and a play-off place.
'It's important that I now focus my team on a really big game on Wednesday night against Ross County,' added Docherty. 'And that's what we'll do.
'We'll analyse our part in the defeat. And there is a lot to look at there in terms of 2-0 away from home should be enough to get a result.
'We knew going into the bottom-six fixtures, we knew the sequence of the games, we knew what was in front of us.
'We knew what we had to do and it's crystal clear now what we have to do.'