Derek McInnes ‘sick to death’ of VAR after Kyle Vassell dismissal

Derek McInnes insisted “the game’s gone mad” after Kilmarnock had Kyle Vassell sent off following a VAR review in their defeat at Hibernian.

The January signing was initially shown a yellow card for a high boot on Marijan Cabraja but that was upgraded after referee John Beaton consulted his pitch-side monitor on the advice of VAR official Steven Kirkland.

McInnes said: “There’s no sense that it was a bad challenge. You can sniff a red card, there’s a sense that something’s happened which makes you feel a bit uneasy.

“John deals with it at the time. He’s standing right next to it. We move on. I didn’t even think it was a yellow.

“Kyle’s tried to pull out. I think the Hibs player went forward into him. Kyle’s got his eyes on the ball the whole time. He tries to keep his foot still, there’s no forward movement.

“They (VAR) are in a sanitised room over 50 miles away watching that over and over again, telling the referee ‘you need to have a look at that, that’s a red card’.

“The game’s gone mad. That’s not a red card.

“I’m sick to death of this VAR. It was our turn this week, there will likely be someone else in Scotland today who has suffered as well.

“An experienced referee dealt with the incident. Yet it goes all the way to them and they put pressure on him to look at it differently. It’s not a red card.

“You can sense the anger and frustration from everybody from a Kilmarnock point of view but I think there was real surprise and shock from a Hibs perspective. There was no running around from players going to the referee looking for a red card.

“You know a red-card offence. You can sniff it at the game. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Goals in either half from Will Fish and substitute Matthew Hoppe stretched Hibs’ unbeaten run to six in the cinch Premiership and Lee Johnson was thrilled with his side’s display, particularly a third clean sheet from their last four games.

He said: “I was delighted with a very professional performance throughout.

“First half we were fluid, some lovely combination play but really well structured behind the ball as well.

“I was disappointed not to come in more than one goal up and that became the half-time conversation, the threat for the second half.

“We limited them to not many opportunities and had a fair few ourselves, I think 20 shots.

“I thought we still defended well. I know there were a couple sort of cleared off the line, it goes to show that the clean sheets are so important.

“Six, seven weeks ago we were conceding three a game. A lot of work and a few signings has enabled us to keep more clean sheets, which is very good.

“It was a well-coached performance from the team – not talking about myself, I mean everyone out there was well-organised and never left themselves in too much trouble.

“I really enjoyed it from a tactical point of view and credit to the boys for that.”