'Harshly done by': Hibs left puzzled by two major decisions in defeat by Aberdeen

Manager Montgomery questions offside call and feels Vente penalty call should have been looked at

Hibs manager Nick Montgomery felt two major refereeing decisions did not go his team’s way in the 1-0 Viaplay Cup semi-final defeat by Aberdeen.

The Dons claimed their place in next month’s final thanks to Bojan Miovski’s 78th-minute winner, just moments after they had been reduced to ten men following Jack MacKenzie’s dismissal. However, Hibs had a goal chalked off on 49 minutes by VAR for offside, with Martin Boyle deemed to be fractionally ahead of the last defender, and then were denied a penalty when Dons goalkeeper Kelle Roos appeared to fell Dylan Vente. Montgomery believed coming out out on the wrong side of both decisions was harsh on Hibs.

“We controlled for large parts and there were a couple of incidents that didn’t go for us,” said Montgomery, “I can’t not be disappointed on not reaching the final. All credit to Aberdeen, it’s one counter-attack and a moment in the game where we have to be smarter.

Hibs manager Nick Montgomery consoles his players after the 1-0 defeat by Aberdeen at Hampden.

“I'm pleased with the performance. I thought we had enough opportunities to win the game quite comfortably but that wasn’t to be. I felt like the decisions didn’t really go our way. At Martin Boyle's goal, If it takes five or six minutes to deliberate whether he is offside then it is not clear and obvious in my opinion. I have just looked back at it and I don’t see how he is offside. The lines are virtually touching the defender and him. It doesn’t go in favour of the attacker.

“Five or six minutes for that decision to be made means it is not clear and obvious. It has definitely not gone in the favour of the attacker. They are going to keep taking goals away. And incidents like that is going against what should really happen. I am not a referee and that’s not why we lost the game but it is the reason why we didn’t have the goal and also the penalty – like I said, everyone has their opinion. But I don’t think anyone can watch that game tonight and not feel we have been harshly done by.

“And then the penalty incident. How that wasn’t looked at on the screen. From where I am the keeper has spilled the ball and Dylan Vente got there before him and touches the ball and is virtually rugby tackled in the box. For that just to be waved away and not even looked at … the rules of the game are you can’t make contact with an opposing player in the box. I felt at least one of those two incidents could have gone our way and that would have changed the reflection of the game.”