Aberdeen pulled themselves away from relegation play-off trouble with a 1-0 win over Motherwell on Saturday, in a game which turned on one crucial refereeing decision.
The referee at Pittodrie was Craig Napier, supported on VAR by Grant Irvine.
In the second half, Motherwell’s Jack Vale was sent off for a foul on Jack MacKenzie.
Aberdeen’s Connor Barron played the ball out wide, and both Vale and MacKenzie were trying to get there first.
Vale did win the ball and hooked it clear – but his high follow-through certainly left a sore one in a sensitive area for the Reds’ young player of the year MacKenzie.
Napier was very decisive in issuing a red card.
My first reaction, however, was uncertainty.
I could see why the red was shown, but I did think it was pretty harsh.
As I said, Vale clearly got to the ball first, which you could tell by the direction the ball moved.
MacKenzie, going in to win it, as he is entitled to do, put himself in one of those positions where he could potentially be taken out.
Having seen a replay, though, I do now believe – with the way the game is nowadays – it is a red card.
Winning the ball doesn’t mean a player can get away with any and all follow-through contact.
Intentional or not, if a player catches someone studs up at waist height, 99% of the time they will see red – maybe not 20 years ago, but the game has changed so much in recent years.
VAR confirmed the decision of referee, further highlighting the clear-cut nature of the decision for the officials, although Motherwell have confirmed they have appealed against the ruling.
We can confirm we have appealed the red card shown to Jack Vale on Saturday against Aberdeen.
The outcome of this appeal will be communicated in due course. pic.twitter.com/BfJ4YTO3zu
— Motherwell FC (@MotherwellFC) April 29, 2024
Overall, I think referee Napier had a good game. He kept a lid on things after the red card and controlled the match.
The Motherwell players did lose their cool a bit, with Napier having to book one for dissent and have a stern word with Motherwell captain Liam Kelly.
I personally quite like his style of refereeing – it’s strong and no nonsense. It shows every player and fan in the stadium they are in charge.
Finlay Elder was a registered referee for six years and a category 5 official from 2019, with experience in the Highland League, Juniors and Club Academy.
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