Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes criticised referee Grant Irvine’s decision to send off Corrie Ndaba after his side surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Hibernian at Rugby Park.
Killie took the lead through a Dylan Vente own goal and Matty Kennedy added a second before Joe Newell pulled one back with a sensational volley.
Ndaba was then shown a red card for a foul on Jair Tavares, with referee Grant Irvine upgrading his yellow to red after being advised by VAR Nick Walsh to consult the pitchside monitor.
And it would prove costly as substitute Myziane Maolida fired home a late equaliser to salvage a point for Hibs.
McInnes said: “For Nick Walsh and VAR to get involved in that, I find it disappointing and strange. Unless there is a different angle I’ve not seen, it’s not dangerous or violent.
“He’s not high, he’s not going in at excessive speed or going in to hurt the boy. Yes, there is a follow through but what is Corrie meant to do?
“It’s not his fault Tavares’ leg is there but he’s not tried to stamp or anything – he’s won the ball. I don’t even think it’s a yellow card. The ref did and that should have sufficed.
“It changed the course of the game. Hibs might have been good enough to get something out of the game. Joe Newell scores an unbelievable goal and it gave them a lifeline. But the red card also gave them a bigger lift.
“Whether VAR has gone for or against me, I have always said the same thing. Let the referee ref the game. Don’t get involved unless you really need to – and I have not seen that with this challenge.
“This wasn’t what VAR was meant for. It was for the big decisions. The referees are not being referees any more. They are not getting the chance to referee what they see.”
Hibernian manager Nick Montgomery was full of praise for the character of his side.
“The second goal came totally against the run of play and it’s disappointing to concede that goal but from that point you either crumble or you stand big and I thought there were some really big performances in that second half,” he said.
“The first goal gave us belief and Myziane when he came on – you can see the guy is a top-quality player. He needs to get fit, he’s not played since November but he caused all sorts of problems and deserved his goal.
“It was actually really disappointing not to come away with the three points. (Christian) Doidge has an open goal at the end and that’s his bread and butter – looks like it’s going in then just drops wide.
“We’ll take the point though. It’s a difficult place to come and we’ll take that confidence.”
Tuchel bemoans lack of focus as Bayern slump to final-day defeat
Departing Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel was unhappy with his team's lack of focus following their 4-2 loss at Hoffenheim on Saturday.
Bayern threw away a two-goal lead, condemning them to a third-place finish behind unbeaten Bayern Leverkusen and Stuttgart
After failing to win the Bundesliga title for a 12th consecutive season, Tuchel's side will also go without domestic or European silverware for the first time in more than a decade.
"We started really well, but then we had a string of individual mistakes," Tuchel said in a short press conference.
The coach is leaving Bayern after just over a year in charge after the club announced his departure in February. There had been talks to potentially reverse that decision last week, but no agreement was reached.
"In the second half we played well for 15 minutes, but then it was again a series of individual mistakes and loss of possession," Tuchel said. "We gave away a two-goal lead for a completely unnecessary and bitter defeat."
Despite a string of injury absences, Bayern were 2-0 up by the sixth minute but Hoffenheim scored four times, including an Andrej Kramaric hat-trick in the second half to turn the game around.
"It happens far too often, like that. It happened in Stuttgart where we conceded two late goals [for a 3-1 defeat]. In Heidenheim, the same [for a 3-2 loss]. Here the same. It just happens too often," Tuchel added.
"I have an explanation for that, but it is not for the public."
Bayern's Aleksandar Pavlovic, who is part of Germany's preliminary Euro 2024 squad, went off injured early in the match and will undergo further tests.
"He twisted his ankle. We will have to wait and see what the checks show," Tuchel said.
Man City will come back fighting after WSL title loss - Taylor
Gareth Taylor says that Manchester City will "come back fighting" after losing out on the Women’s Super League title on the final day.
City beat Aston Villa 2-1 thanks to goals from Mary Fowler and Lauren Hemp on Saturday, but ultimately fell just short, missing out to Chelsea on goal difference.
Emma Hayes led the Blues to a fifth consecutive WSL title with a 6-0 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford, having made up their inferior goal difference with an equally impressive 8-0 win over Bristol City two weeks ago.
Taylor has reflected on a "mix of emotions" after narrowly missing out on being champions.
Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, he said: "I feel really proud of the team's performance. The mad thing is we could have maybe scored double figures today quite easily. That's the difference.
"To win 18 games in the season and still come up short is not easy but we have. It's been a big push from the team, we've worked incredibly hard, and we'll come back fighting."
When asked what lessons City can take from this season, Taylor added: "We need to improve in all areas. We have to have potentially better options from the sidelines. I think that's really key.
"I'm so enthusiastic about the way we played today. A lot of the stuff we did was really good. That's what inspires me to get up in the morning and fight for next season's title."
Goalkeeper Khiara Keating became the youngest-ever Golden Glove winner in her breakout season, as the 19-year-old kept nine clean sheets in 22 league games and conceded just 15 goals in total.
While disappointed about Saturday’s outcome, Keating looked back on the highlights of her season.
She said: "Obviously we are disappointed. We wanted to go out and win a trophy today. We knew what we had to do, and we didn't quite get it done.
"Hopefully next season in the Champions League we can show what we're about and go and win some trophies.
"From a personal point of view, my breakout season had a lot to prove at the start of the season, everyone was kind of.. Not doubting but wondering what I'd be like. I hope I've shown everyone what I can do.
"Gaz [Taylor] put his faith in me to go and play how I play and that is what I needed to go out there and do what I did this season."
Union Berlin survive Bundesliga relegation after stoppage-time winner against Freiburg
Union Berlin scored a stoppage-time winner against Freiburg to secure their Bundesliga safety, despite missing two penalties on a dramatic final day.
Marco Grote's side, who participated in the Champions League during the first half of this season under former coach Urs Fischer, occupied the relegation play-off spot heading into the final day of the campaign.
Just three points clear of 17th-place Koln, who travelled to Heidenheim, they welcomed Freiburg to Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, knowing a defeat could spell the end of their five-year stay in the German top flight.
Mainz, two points clear of Union in 15th, moved themselves out of the relegation picture with a commanding 3-1 win at Wolfsburg.
That meant one of Union, Bochum or Koln would join already relegated Darmstadt in the second tier. One would have to settle for a play-off place, while the other would survive.
Koln went down 4-1 at Heidenheim, while Bochum's defeat at Werder Bremen by the same scoreline meant Union could leapfrog them with victory over Freiburg.
The hosts, for whom Josip Juranovic missed a first-half penalty, broke the deadlock in the 68th minute through Benedict Hollerbach.
However, they looked set for a relegation play-off when Ritsu Doan equalised for the visitors with five minutes remaining, before substitute Kevin Volland struck the post with his spot-kick early in stoppage time.
Nevertheless, there was to be a dramatic late twist as Janik Haberer struck in the 92nd minute to catapult Union out of the bottom three and to safety in 15th place.
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