Jim Goodwin has praised referee Colin Steven for showing the “courage” to award Dundee United a pivotal late penalty at Easter Road as the Tangerines claimed a creditable point against Hibs.
With the Hibees on course to cement a deserved victory courtesy of Lewis Miller’s first-half header, Mykola Kuharevich tugged the jersey of Emmanuel Adegboyega in the penalty area with 85 minutes on the clock.
Although the officials did not pick up on the incident in real time, Steven was advised by referee Greg Aitken to review the tussle – and following a lengthy assessment, the penalty was given.
Kuharevich was dismissed in the process, picking up his second yellow card.
Sam Dalby made no mistake from 12 yards to rescue a point for the Terrors and, while the decision irked Hibs boss David Gray, Goodwin is adamant a pre-season diktat from head of refereeing Willie Collum should have served as fair warning.
“Willie Collum invited the managers to Hampden to discuss what VAR would be looking at this season, then he went around the clubs so all the players in those positions knew,” explained Goodwin.
“It was a clear tug on Adegboyega’s jersey.
“People might argue he wasn’t getting on the end of it, but the tug prevented him from doing that.
“I’m delighted the ref had the courage to give it.”
Miller time
In the first notable chance of the contest, Jordan Obita produced a magnificent solo surge on the left flank, nutmegging Luca Stephenson before dancing past two more bodies and picking out Miller in the box.
But somehow the big Aussie international got his feet in a muddle and kicked the ball backwards.
However, Miller proved more adept with his head minutes later, converting a deep delivery from the excellent Obita following a free-kick award that Goodwin strongly disputed.
Ringing the changes
With United being overrun in the middle of the park in the opening 45, Goodwin brought on Richard Odada and Kristijan Trapanovski to replace Declan Gallagher and Ryan Strain, facilitating a switch to a 4-3-3.
Goodwin added: “We’ve got flexibility in the squad. We have to be able to adapt.
“Sometimes you’ll play different systems, but because we were behind we had to try and get up the pitch; play a bit higher and have a higher press.
“That change allowed us to do that. Instead of an extra man in defence, we had an extra man in attack.”
The rewards were almost immediate. A lovely exchange between Glenn Middleton and Stephenson resulted in the latter finding David Babunski with a low cross, but the Macedonian skewed his effort wide.
Trapanovski’s afternoon was cut short just seven minutes after entering the fray, with the winger withdrawn with a hamstring injury. Kai Fotheringham came on for his third Premiership appearance of the season.
Dramatic closing stage
Jack Walton was forced to tip a Marvin Ekpiteta header over the bar as the hosts sought to make their lead insurmountable.
However, it would be United who rippled the net in the dying embers as referee Steven and VAR Aitken took centre-stage, allowing ice-cool Dalby to fire home the leveller and send United into the top four of the Premiership.
Goodwin added: “For a newly promoted team with this volume of new players, it is a positive start.”
Lathering further salt into Hibs’ wounds, their own 99th-minute VAR penalty appeal when Dalby and Warren O’Hora challenged for a high ball proved fruitless.
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