Rangers manager Philippe Clement has probed the decision-making of the VAR team in the club’s Scottish Premiership win over Kilmarnock.
The Ibrox boss was speaking after his side came from behind to record a potentially crucial 2-1 victory away to Kilmarnock’s abysmal Rugby Park surface.
Rangers went into half-time 1-0 down after midfielder John Lundstram was adjudged to have handled the ball in the Kilmarnock box.
But it’s not just the first-half penalty call against Rangers which has irked Philippe Clement, with Kilmarnock stars Stuart Findlay and Lewis Mayo also subject to penalty inquests.
Philippe Clement on Kilmarnock penalty
For the John Lundstram award, the ball initially touches Lundstram’s arm within the silhouette of his body.
The midfielder then flails his arm outside of his body, with referee David Dickinson and then VAR taking literally time to award the spot kick.
The decision also drew criticism from the likes of ex-Rangers star Kevin Thomson at half-time.
However, in the second period for some reason both the referee and VAR failed to award Rangers a penalty for incidents involving Kilmarnock players.
Defender Stuart Findlay handled the ball in a one-v-one against Cyriel Dessers, the ball bouncing up off the unpredictable surface.
Ex-Rangers defender Lewis Mayo then blatantly connected with the ball with a flailing arm in injury time with the score at 2-1, only for VAR to wave away the appeals.
Speaking after the game, Philippe Clement told journalists he wants to know why the Lewis Mayo incident in particular was not given.
As quoted by the Rangers Review’s Joshua Barrie, Clement said: “I want to know why our penalty was given against but the one late on for us was not.”
Rangers in Scottish Premiership VAR inquest
The two incidents cited by Philippe Clement – as well as the Stuart Findlay incident – are certainly worthy of post match comparisons.
Whilst Rangers overcame Kilmarnock on the night, it was by the narrowest of margins, with the refereeing team in place to ensure consistency of decision-making across the board.
If the Kilmarnock spot kick was a penalty, then Rangers were ultimately due one for the Lewis Mayo incident but it never came and made for a nervy finish to the match.
Rangers won the game 2-1 courtesy of second half goals from James Tavernier and Tom Lawrence after Danny Armstrong had given Killie the lead.
