Edwards hits out at VAR 'mistake' as Town aren't awarded a 'clear' penalty against Trotters

Luton boss Rob Edwards was left to rue what he deemed a clear ‘mistake’ from VAR that denied his side a clear-cut penalty during their FA Cup third round goalless draw against Bolton Wanderers at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

With time running out, Alfie Doughty was teed up by Elijah Adebayo inside the area, whistling an attempt that beat Trotters keeper Nathan Baxter, only to hammer against the inside of the post. The wingback was first to react to the rebound though, clearly clipped by visiting defender Will Forrester, the majority of the 10,739 supporters screaming for a penalty.

It was turned down by referee Andrew Madley, before play stopped for a VAR check. However, those making the decisions at Stockley Park, Tim Robinson and his assistants Michael Oliver and Darren Cann, quickly agreed with their fellow official, as Town didn’t get the spotkick that Edwards felt was the only outcome possible.

He said: “We were the dominant team in the second half, we just couldn’t find a way to get the ball over the line. A couple of saves, couple of nearly moments, hit the woodwork and I just think the big decision today, the decision on Alfie, it was a penalty on Alfie Doughty. I never moan about decisions going against us, but I'm not sure what VAR was thinking there with that one.

"There’s a clash of knees and he’s gone down. If the contact doesn’t happen then he's round him and going into a really dangerous position in the box, so it was a pen. I think Andrew Madley should have been told to go to the screen to have a little look at it. It was a big mistake, but credit to Bolton, they’ve got a result and we go and do it again.

Trotters boss Ian Evatt was asked about the incident too, hinting that the visitors might have escaped conceding a penalty, adding: “I wasn't really sure what was going on, we’re not used to that in League One, but what I will say is and I haven’t seen the incident back, the referee’s made a call, and there are two very experienced referees in the VAR hub and if they've all come to the same decision, I’m comfortable with that.

"If we’ve got away with one or not there’s three men there who have had the chance to make a different decision and they didn’t and we have to accept whatever they call. Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it goes against you, today it went for us.”