Angry Livingston manager David Martindale claimed Scotland’s Video Assistant Referee system (VAR) is “a wee bit amateur” after claiming a foul by Alex Gogic as the centre-half headed the late equaliser that prevented the bottom-placed side moving to within five points of visitors St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.
Until then, Robbie Muirhead’s precise finish 10 minutes after the break looked to be enough to end a 21-game run without a win with that would have been only their second of the league season.
Gogic evaded his marker to score with a minute of normal time left, but Martindale told BBC Scotland: “There’s a big foul on Joshua Brenet, who is marking Alex Gogic. Gogic pulls his arm. And it’s Gogic who scores.
“How can that goal be given? I’m really disappointed. I need to stop talking about this, but what do I do?
“It’s costing us big, big points in games. VAR isn’t making the game better. We need to go full-time, a bank of referees who are full-time.
“For me, it’s a wee bit amateur just now.”
While Livingston’s run without a home victory has now stretched to 12 games, the point does move them to within three points of second-bottom Kilmarnock.
The hosts were determined to avenge Saturday’s Scottish Cup defeat after a penalty shootout against the same opponents, but that late body blow means the Paisley side remain eight points clear of Martindale’s side.
It was more blood than thunder early on, with Livingston defender Daniel Finlayson and St Mirren midfielder Killian Phillips both receiving early treatment for cuts among a plethory of injury stoppages.
If familiarity breeds contempt, it certainly did not breed quality football.
Half an hour had passed before Mikael Mandron fashioned the first effort on target, albeit shooting straight at Livingston goalkeeper Jerome Prior, and the striker should have done better when heading over from six yards shortly after.
The game had burst into life as it entered hefty stoppage time and Conor McMenamin, who had started in midfield in place of Oisen Smyth, had a low drive from close range superbly pushed wide by Prior.
However, it was Livingston who closed the first half by missing the best chance yet, as Muirhead had the goal at his mercy from Lewis Smith’s cutback, but his header was cleared off the line by Richard King.
Despite the loss of Scott Arfield and Cristian Montano to injury at half time, Livingston started the second half the better and their pressure led to a deserved breakthrough.
Brenet’s looping cross found Muirhead unmarked at the back post and the striker chested it down before firing in off the far post.
Muirhead came close to another with a curling shot off the top of the crossbar.
However, the hosts started defending deeper and, when Gogic rose to meet a Scott Tanser cross, Livingston and St Mirren had ended 90 minutes at 1-1 for the second game running.
