VAR

Went along to Easter Road to see United in the league. My first visit for a while and to start with technology proved its worth as it was very easy to buy a ticket online this morning, direct from Hibs website. (Although I wonder if that is me on their mailing list now, even although I clearly bought an away fan ticket as that didn't seem to register with Raith Rovers!) As it was dry and not too cold I walked there - only forty-five minutes door to door. They were searching fans on the way in and the guy ahead of me was getting a serious patting down, checking in his hood etc but then I was just waved through. Clearly bearded-guy-in-his-sixties not worth checking. Reminded me of the time a few of us went to a game at St James Park. I was wearing a denim jacket and one of my mates had a full length winter coat and yet I was the one that got frisked. He could have been concealing two baseball bats under his coat and anything bigger than a packet of gum would have been obvious inside my jacket, but no, I got checked and he was waved through. Anyway, I took my seat in the South Stand a bit before kick-off as the players were still warming up. Clearly United either did too much or not enough as they were listless and ineffectual for most of the first half as Hibs charged towards the goal just in front of us. They got the goal that had looked to be coming but fortunately no more before half time. United changed things around at the break and looked more threatening although they were still fragile at the back. The game was briefly halted as VAR had stopped working and everyone booed, ironically as it turned out because as United started to exert some late pressure and were preparing to take a free kick in a dangerous position the game paused again and the big screen informed us that VAR was checking for a possible penalty. Odd, as no one in tangerine, either on the pitch or in the stand, had noticed anything. As time dragged on the pessimistic fan in me assumed we wouldn't get it and the delay would only serve to deflate the attacking pressure and the free kick would come to nothing. But no, the referee indicated he was being called over to the touchline screen, always a good sign! Sure enough he pointed to the spot and also sent off a Hibs defender. Dalby stepped up to take the kick (extra). Although it was just in front of us I consciously put my phone away as he prepared to shoot. A phone picture would never be that great and better to be in the moment - much leaping about and shouting as he put it away. We then had more than ten minutes of injury time but neither team could get a winner. Hibs had their own VAR moment but the possible penalty at the other end came to nought. Considering the first half performance a draw wasn't bad, but it was against the team at the bottom of the league, who we might have expected to beat. Still, it was good to top up my United-ness again.