ABERDEEN secured a stunning 6-2 victory over Livingston on Saturday, but the eight-goal thriller was overshadowed by a series of bizarre VAR interventions that left both managers in a state of disbelief.
While the Red Army celebrated a dominant performance, the post-match talk was dominated by a “ghost” offside call that denied Kevin Nisbet a memorable hat-trick. The fallout from the decision saw Livingston boss David Martindale sent to the stands as tempers reached boiling point in the Granite City.
The Nisbet Hat-Trick Horror Show
Kevin Nisbet appeared to have claimed the match ball when he tucked away his third of the afternoon, only for the celebrations to be cut short. After a lengthy delay, VAR officials ruled the goal out for offside—despite the broadcast still-image appearing to show Nisbet clearly behind the last defender.
Interim boss Peter Leven revealed after the whistle that the match officials were unable to even draw the lines correctly during the review process, leading to a decision that Leven described as “confusing and frustrating” for everyone in the stadium.
“We’ve won 6-2 and I’m still standing here talking about VAR,” a frustrated Leven said. “Referees are struggling to use the technology they’ve been given. Kevin deserves his hat-trick, and the fans deserve clarity. Instead, we got chaos.”
Martindale Sees Red as Tensions Flare
The confusion wasn’t limited to the home dugout. Even David Martindale, whose side technically benefited from the disallowed goal, was left fuming by the lack of communication. Following a heated exchange with the officiating team regarding the inconsistency of the reviews, the Livi manager was shown a red card and forced to watch the remainder of the collapse from the stands.
The winless streak for the Lions now stretches to 21 games, but Martindale was more concerned with the integrity of the officiating. “It’s becoming a lottery,” he remarked. “Even when a call goes your way, you don’t know why. It’s draining the life out of the sport.”
Match Analysis: Dons On the Rampage
Tactically, Aberdeen were a class apart. Despite the VAR distractions, the new-look frontline clicked into gear. Toyosi Olusanya enjoyed a blistering debut, stretching the Livi backline and creating space for Nisbet to feast.
The Dons’ ability to maintain focus amidst the stop-start nature of the VAR reviews was the deciding factor. While Livi crumbled under the psychological weight of the officiating disputes, Aberdeen stayed clinical, ruthlessly exploiting defensive gaps to rack up their biggest league win of the season.
The Future of the ‘Virtual’ Game
Saturday’s events at Pittodrie have reignited calls for a total overhaul of VAR implementation in the Scottish Premiership. With managers, players, and fans in rare agreement that the current system is “opaque,” the pressure is now on the SFA to provide better visuals and faster communication to prevent technology from overshadowing the talent on the pitch.
Dons fans—should Kevin Nisbet be allowed to keep that match ball regardless? And is VAR officially broken in Scotland? Have your say in the comments!
Co-Founder of Fitba Focus and MMA UK. A lifelong Aberdeen fan with years of experience in the sports media industry, Peter provides expert analysis and a dedicated "Dons" perspective on the Scottish game. He is passionate about giving a voice to fans across the entire Scottish football pyramid.
