Where VAR travels, controversy follows.
It hasn’t taken long for Dundee to find out just how frustrating the technology can be – and to feel very hard done by after its interventions.
The 2-2 draw between the Dark Blues and Kilmarnock was a match dominated by refereeing decisions, aided and abetted by the video assistant’s monitor.
Amadou Bakayoko opened the scoring on 16 minutes before Dan Armstrong scored twice to put Killie in front with Josh Mulligan sent off in the first half at 1-1.
But, with defeat on the cards, Zak Rudden stepped up to level things again in stoppage time.
Talking points aplenty – so where to start?
Where else…
Referee
David Munro is fast becoming very unpopular in the city of Dundee.
Only last weekend he was the lightning rod for fury at Tannadice after sending Mathew Cudjoe off.
That decision would later be given credence by video replays that showed Cudjoe’s arm appearing to make contact with the face of his opponent.
Time on this occasion, though, won’t prove his big decision correct.
Josh Mulligan’s challenge on Dan Armstrong was not a good one, let’s set that straight. It was a poor tackle and a clear foul. A clear yellow card.
But out came the red and, despite VAR suggesting a clear and obvious error had been made, Munro doubled down on his decision. He later told Dens boss Tony Docherty he felt it was a “reckless” challenge.
Just minutes after a VAR decision that gave Kilmarnock their leveller for a harsh handball by Amadou Bakayoko, it really stung for the Dark Blues.
💪 Ten-man Dundee salvaged a dramatic 93rd minute equaliser against Kilmarnock, as Derek McInnes received a red card in the closing stages ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/UaNYCfRXD2
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) September 23, 2023
After that there was a huge amount of anger in the stadium and feeling of injustice from the home support, rightly so too.
That intensified when Robbie Deas flew in on Jordan McGhee on halfway. This, too, was not a good challenge and clearly a yellow card.
But, because of the red for Mulligan’s challenge, the question is quite rightly asked – what was so much worse about Mulligan on Armstrong than Deas on McGhee?
Performance
Dundee are building a portfolio of performances that show they can handle this level.
They’d like more wins on the board but this was another strong display to add to the likes of Motherwell, Hearts and St Johnstone.
Docherty’s side started off on the front foot and grabbed a good opening goal.
Killie worked their way into the game in a fairly even contest before the penalty award and after the red card were, as expected, the team in ascendancy.
But throughout the second period, despite having 10 men, Dundee rarely looked uncomfortable in their defensive shape.
And Kilmarnock created very little – until an Andrew Dallas cross somehow evaded Joe Shaughnessy, Trevor Carson, Ricki Lamie and Owen Beck to give Armstrong an open goal.
The Dundee equaliser in the end was a deserved one for the effort put in throughout.
And another game where newly-promoted Dundee showed they are more than capable of mixing it at Premiership level.
Rudden
This was a big moment for Rudden.
Only his second Premiership goal for Dundee and the third of his career.
He coped some flak for a poor miss in his last appearance, firing the chance to seal all three points at St Johnstone wide before the Dark Blues conceded an equaliser.
Love a goalkeeper up for a corner! 💙 pic.twitter.com/hnd6lD0F3y
— Scott Lorimer (@scottlorimer89) September 23, 2023
Had he done that, his side would have no doubt won the points.
This time he earned his team a key point – and gave himself a huge confidence boost in the process.
Now’s the time to kick on, Dundee need players to put the ball in the net and it’s up to Rudden to prove he can do that consistently.
Beck
The Liverpool loanee stood out a mile – again.
From the first whistle he took to his battle with Armstrong with relish, coming out on top more often than not in that one-on-one battle. Armstrong scored twice but the first was a penalty and fault for the second doesn’t lie at Beck’s feet.
Striding forward with the ball, he pushed his team on and defended with aplomb.
Most importantly he played a key role in the two goals scored by his team.
Two good corner-kick deliveries brought two goals.
The first was one worked out on the training ground, clipped into the near post for Shaughnessy to flick to the far post and Bakayoko to turn home.
The second was dropped into the danger zone and met by Lamie to knock down for Rudden.
A stellar performer, Beck is going from strength to strength in dark blue, impressing week after week.
This was no different.
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