Hibs manager Nick Montgomery is still bristling after a weekend of VAR frustration and has ridiculed the level of inconsistency and the idea that on-field decisions are only over-ruled if it is clear and obvious that an error has been made.

He watched on incredulously as his men were evicted from the Viaplay Cup on Saturday by Aberdeen and fumed as Martin Boyle’s ‘goal’ was ruled offside following a lengthy intervention, but Dylan Vente was denied a penalty and the video assistants failed to ask the match official John Beaton to review his decision.

“If you look at five-to-six minutes to deliberate over something then that is not clear and obvious,” said Montgomery. “Then to give it the way of the defending team doesn’t make sense. If it was that clear and obvious they’d have made a quick decision and they didn’t.”

Hibs manager Nick Montgomery takes his team to St Mirren on Wednesday evening.

But while he was annoyed to be denied that second-half goal, he was even more frustrated by the willingness to brush aside the subsequent penalty shout, after Dylan Vente went down in the box after a challenge from Aberdeen keeper Kelle Roos. The fact a similar incident in the second semi-final, between Hearts and Rangers on Sunday, resulted in a spotkick hs only fuelled the annoyance.

“I’m disappointed with the penalty incident that the referee didn’t review it on screen,” continued Montgomery, speaking ahead of Wednesday’s Premiership match against St Mirren. “If he did, I think he would have been given a penalty. That didn’t happen – but it did the next day. Maybe we should have played on Sunday and we would be in the final! Dylan got there before him and made contact before him. It’s a penalty. What you don’t expect is VAR to get them wrong. It was put in to eliminate and eradicate human error. It’s more frustrating when the result reflects the decision made.”

As incidents continue to mount, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou is one who has voiced concerns that VAR is undermining referees’ authority on the pitch and while Montgomery could see the former Celtic gaffer’s point, he said it was down to improving the levels of consistency and communication.

“I agree with him at times, but I also think if there’s big incidents – are you going to go to the screen when it’s a big incident, or are you going to do it sometimes? Because it’s not consistent,” he said. “Our penalty incident at the weekend, watching it live it looks like a penalty, but if he’s not sure, why doesn’t he go to the screen and have a look? If he did, I think he gives a penalty.

Montgomery feels Hibs should have been awarded a penalty for this incident involving Dylan Vente.

“One moment they wave it on, the next they want to have a look on-screen. I think that’s where it’s a little bit inconsistent. But in the women’s World Cup, I watched the semi-final and the decision was talked through by the referee. Everybody could hear it in the stand. I think that knocks a bit of the confusion out of it for people watching the game.

“We don’t want to see the game constantly stop but we also don’t want big decisions not given because the referee’s not seen it. It’s a talking point now and it’s probably going to be a talking point all the time.”

Bristling Hibs boss Nick Montgomery lambasts VAR inconsistencies, sees ex-Celtic chief's view and makes Sunday claim