United ‘robbed’ in draw: Rudan

WESTERN United coach Mark Rudan says his team was “robbed” after having two goals ruled out for offside as they were forced to settle for a 0-0 A-League draw against Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Saturday night.

Besart Berisha had his 36th-minute goal chalked off after a VAR review ruled Connor Pain was offside in the build-up, while a linesman flagged Dylan Pierias offside when he was slipped through by Victor Sanchez for a potential winner in the 77th.

“I just thought we were robbed today – simple as that,” Rudan said. “We dropped two points – should never have.”

Rudan was particularly incensed by the Pierias decision, believing the linesman had raised his flag for offside too early, rather than giving the attacking side the benefit of the doubt.

“Keep your flag down. You’ve got the ability to go back and have a look at VAR – if you need it,” he said. “He chose not to do that and they bring the goal back and disallow it for offside.

“I couldn’t believe that at such a huge turning point of the game.

“Technology’s killing us. Any other day of the week that stays onside because you’ve got to go with the attacking side.”

A former Fox Sports analyst, Rudan said the broadcaster was using less cameras in its coverage, meaning it was impossible to draw an “exact line” for offside calls using VAR technology.

The United boss reiterated his calls from last season to scrap the VAR, while he also lamented a lack of handball call when a Berisha shot appeared to hit Dylan Ryan’s hand in the 68th minute.

Both teams spurned multiple chances in a fiery goalless draw.

Victory should have led after 10 minutes when Marco Rojas controlled a Maxime Crocombe long ball, charged forward and slipped a pass to Brandon Lauton, who smacked his shot into the post.

United almost scored against the run of play when Sanchez and Pain combined to deliver Berisha’s 36th-minute goal before the VAR intervened.

Victory’s Luis Lawrie-Lattanzio flashed a header wide just after halftime but from there, United dominated the second half.

In the 72nd minute, Iker Guarrotxena forced a Ryan turnover then followed up to force an excellent near-post save from Crocombe.

Soon after, United skipper Alessandro Diamanti clattered a shot off the bar, before ripping an even fiercer strike off the woodwork in the 76th minute.

Less than a minute later, Pierias left the Victory defence in his wake to score and wheeled away in celebration, only to be cruelly brought back down to earth by the offside flag.

In the 89th minute, United goalkeeper Filip Kurto made an excellent diving fingertip save to deny Victory’s Birkan Kirdar to ensure United kept their unbeaten record in their four derby clashes to date.

-BY ANNA HARRINGTON/ AAP