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<\/p>\nThe 10-men pulled back a goal at Easter Road after VAR checked the flashpoint<\/p>\n
The ball appears to strike Joe Newell’s arm in the build-up to Hibs’ goal<\/p>\n
The SFA have explained VAR’s decision not to chalk off Joe Newell’s goal for Hibs in their clash with Celtic.<\/a><\/p>\n It was a controversial afternoon at Easter Road at Martin O’Neill’s men secured a crucial three points in the Scottish Premiership title race.<\/a><\/p>\n After Jamie McGrath was booked by referee David Dickinson, Don Robertson in the VAR<\/a> room intervened to send the man in the middle to the pitchside monitor for his tackle on Alistair Johnston.<\/p>\n That was upgraded to a red before Daizen Maeda put the visitors in front, and Robertson and the team in Clydesdale House took centre stage as Newell levelled before half time.<\/p>\n Claims were made that the ball had struck Newell’s arm before he put the ball into the net. But after VAR checked the flashpoint, the Hibs<\/a> goal stood.<\/p>\n The SFA released guidance to Sky Sports over the incident, stating there was “insufficient evidence of a handball to overturn the on-field decision.”<\/p>\n In response, James McFadden noted that Robertson and the off-field officials would have to be certain to make a factual overturn.<\/p>\n He said: “It only takes one person in there to say ‘I don’t think it does’ – it has to be 100 per cent.<\/p>\n “If they look at it and think it is a handball it’s overturned – because it’s factual. If you think it might be, then that’s re-refereeing and that’s not what it was brought in for.”<\/p>\n Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google\u2019s preferred sources. Click HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tune in to Hotline Live<\/a> every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport’s newest podcast, Game On<\/a>, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.<\/p>\n Follow Record Sport on Twitter<\/a>, Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a> for all of the up-to-the minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond.<\/p>\n You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers<\/a> and Celtic<\/a> pages, and sign up to our newsletters<\/a> to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season.<\/p>\n We’re also on WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here<\/a> and our Celtic community here<\/a>.<\/p>\n