Hibs receive SFA apology over Aberdeen FC handball as 'serious' VAR error sparks crunch talks

Hibs have stated that the decision to not award the club a penalty in the draw with Aberdeen has led to an apology by the SFA.

Nick Montgomery's side drew 2-2 with the Dons in the Scottish Premiership clash - that leaves Hibs five points outside the top six and face an uphill task to break into the top half before the split. A contention decision arose during the showdown as referee David Munro and VAR didn't give a Hibs penalty after a Jordan Obita cross appeared to come off Nicky Devlin's arm in an unnatural position.

And Easter Road chiefs have now released a statement on the discussions with the Hampden chiefs. It read: "Hibernian FC met with Scottish FA representatives following the club’s cinch Premiership match away at Aberdeen (17 February, 2024). Upon review of the game, the club believes VAR made a serious error in the first half when Jordan Obita’s cross hit the arm of Aberdeen defender Nicky Devlin.

"The incident was reviewed by VAR, and the referee was advised that the on-field decision was correct, meaning no penalty was awarded. The club held meetings with the Scottish FA at Hampden earlier today (19 February) to challenge the decision.

"The governing body outlined that the Referee Department agreed that the incident should have been referred by VAR for On-Field Review, and therefore an error was made. This is not the first occasion where the Club has received an apology for VAR errors, and the club will continue to work with the Scottish FA regarding officiating in the Scottish game."