St Johnstone beat ten-men Hibs at Easter Road as Scottish football enters 'VAR-era'

St Johnstone have come from behind to beat ten-man Hibernian 2-1 at Easter Road as VAR made its debut in the Scottish Premiership.

All three goals were checked by the video assisted refereeing technology as it was used in domestic football in the country for the first time.

The home side dominated the first hour of the game and will feel they should have been more than one goal ahead when Kyle Magennis was sent off with 20 minutes to go.

But the Perth side came back with two late headed goals in the last 15 minutes to steal the win in Edinburgh on Friday night.

The win moves Callum Davidson’s men into joint eighth with Motherwell and only three points behind Hearts in seventh.

Equaliser: Clark celebrates scoring to make it 1-1. SNS Group

Lee Johnson’s third placed side were hoping to move four points ahead of Aberdeen in the Premiership with a win, but they now remain only one ahead despite Jim Goodwin’s side having played two games less.

The Dons can now leapfrog Hibs and go two points ahead into third place with a win over Motherwell at Fir Park on Saturday.

Hibs started the game well and showed their intent by attacking St Johnstone from the off with a series of chances created and Martin Boyle booked for diving.

The Australian international was claiming for a penalty but the referee had a good view and didn’t consider the incident worthy of a video check as he produced the yellow card.

The home side took the lead on the half-hour mark when Ukrainian striker Mykola Kukharevych leaped highest to head the ball the St Johnstone keeper Remi Matthews and make it 1-0.

The goal also goes down in history to be the first ever VAR checked goal in the Scottish Premiership with the decision to give it getting a second cheer out of the Hibs support.

Boyle came close to doubling the lead just before half-time, but Matthews done well to palm the close range shot away from goal.

For all their possession the home side still couldn’t find that killer second goal and they grew increasingly frustrated as a result.

Hibs were reduced to ten men on the 70th minute when Kyle Magennis was sent off for a second bookable offence.

And St Johnstone equalised soon after when Nicky Clark headed past David Marshall from a corner as the game was turned on its head.

Again, the goal went to a VAR check with Hibs claiming a push but again the officials decided the goal would stand.

With the score line at 1-1, all of a sudden the Perth side were looking like the most likely victors and Hibs had Marshall to thank for keeping it level with around ten minutes to go.

But the veteran goalkeeper was unable to stop Stevie May making it 2-1 with a bullet header just moments later following an inch-perfect cross by Jamie Murphy from the right-hand side.