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Brian Kerr reckons St Mirren were robbed of the chance to topple league leaders Hearts last night by VAR — before the technology saved them from defeat. The Buddies twice took the lead in an epic clash but the table-toppers roared back on both occasions to salvage a point and stay unbeaten in the Premiership. Dan Nlundulu scored a stunning second goal in as many games before Lawrence Shankland levelled before the break. Saints went 2-1 up through Miguel Freckleton – who then had a goal ruled out by VAR – but Hearts rallied with Claudio Braga on target. Pierre Kabore’s last-gasp strike appeared to be a dagger in Saints hearts but VAR this time saved the day with an offside call. When the dust settled, the Buddies remained in ninth place while Hearts had their advantage at the summit trimmed to six points. The result – which ended a three-game losing run for Saints – as well as the performance will have boosted confidence ahead of Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final with Motherwell at Hampden. However, Buddies No 2 Kerr felt Freckleton’s second goal should have stood after it was disallowed for what referee Matthew MacDermid apparently termed an ‘impact offside’. He said: “I think it was a very eventful night and we’re delighted with the performance but disappointed with the result. “We’ve yet to see an angle showing why the goal was chalked off. Matthew called it an impact offside so it’s something as a club we probably need to speak to Willie [Collum, head of refereeing] about. “But it doesn’t take away from an excellent performance against a high-flying Hearts side and it’s a good point. Decisions are going against us a wee bit and this one is a sore one to take as it would have put us in a real strong position. “Even when things go against them, this group bounce back and give you everything. They will look forward to Saturday and hopefully by Saturday night we find ourselves in a cup final.” Jambos gaffer Derek McInnes added: “This is a notoriously difficult place to come and I thought we created good chances. I was pleased with the performance in the main. I loved my team at the end, no one settled for a point and we all wanted to win.” ●Saints have sold more than 8,000 tickets for their Hampden semi. Fans have until 12noon on Friday to be sure of their spot among the black-and-white army at the big game. You can visit https://www.stmirren.com/matchtickets for further information. The Steelmen, who beat Dundee United 2-0 last night, have also sold in excess of 8,000 tickets for the weekend showdown. Don't miss the latest Renfrewshire headlines – you can sign up to our free daily newsletter here
