Motherwell boss blasts VAR and ref after 'different decisions on identical Dundee United penalty claims'

Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell says he's baffled by referee Nick Walsh's call to make difference decisions on two 'identical' penalty claims for Dundee United in today's defeat.

The Steelmen saw United come back from Kevin van Veen's first half opener, to net twice in eight minutes midway through the second half through a Illmari Niskanen strike and a Jamie McGrath penalty in the 2-1 win.

But there was plenty of controversy as striker Steven Fletcher was brought down in the box by Motherwell keeper Liam Kelly for the decisive penalty and was then booked for simulation in a carbon copy incident in stoppage time.

Both incidents went to VAR and both came back with different outcomes, which also sided with the referee's original decisions.

And that has left Kettlewell once again calling for consistency from officials and the technology.

The bemused boss said: "I'm a little bit frustrated. I've watched back the penalty incident. We have said that one is a penalty, so if we look at specific decisions in the game - and I'm not making excuses - I am a little bit baffled why Steven Fletcher gets booked for the second one right at the end of the game.

"If you watch them back - and we'll all see them on the highlights - they are identical.

"They are exactly the same and in one there's a penalty given and in the other there's a yellow card given [for simulation].

"I don't really understand that.

"It's either two penalties or it's two yellow cards because to my mind, and I'll stand corrected if I'm wrong, both were identical.

"So we are going back to this level of consistency.

"Liam doesn't feel the first one is a penalty. He is disappointed that the penalty was given.

"Would we be screaming for it? We probably would. We are all