Edwards refuses to blame VAR for not awarding Luton a penalty during Clarets loss

Luton boss Rob Edwards wasn’t about to blame VAR for the decision not to award the Hatters a penalty in their 2-1 defeat against Burnley on Tuesday night.

Midway through the second half, Carlton Morris broke into the area and went to ground under a sliding challenge from Clarets defender Jordan Beyer, appealing for a spot-kick, only to see referee Peter Bankes wave play on.

It looked at the time like Beyer had got enough of the ball, but replays showed that he went through the Luton striker to do as, leaving the Hatters feeling hard done by that VAR hadn’t at least asked Bankes to go to the video screen and review his decision.

Quizzed for his opinion afterwards, Edwards said: “Maybe it was one of those, if it gets given perhaps it doesn't get overturned, but because it doesn’t get given it doesn’t get overturned.

"He’s gone through Carlton to get to the ball, it’s a tight one, I’m not going to blame that.”

VAR has come under increasing criticism this season, particularly at the weekend when Liverpool were beaten 2-1 by Spurs, a game that saw Luis Diaz’s goal incorrectly ruled out for offside, the PGMOL releasing the audio footage of the incident since

However speaking ahead of the midweek defeat, Edwards declared he is still in favour of the system, saying: “I am for VAR as long as we get the right decision.

"I think we’ve seen things like offsides, they’re factual decisions, those are ones that need to be right and I know there’s been a big controversy.

"The difficulty we have then is it’s still someone else’s opinion with a handball for instance.

"We’ve had them, probably against Brighton and Wolves, where they’re questionable and then maybe another one against West Ham which in my opinion was a bit more of a handball that doesn’t get given.

“That’s when it’s still just someone's opinion, so it’s difficult for me to really answer.

"For factual stuff, yes we need it, goal-line technology, offsides, but then when it just goes to someone else’s opinion for their decision on whether its a handball or not, it comes really difficult and its a bit grey.

"It wasn’t a nice wait for us for the Everton goal (on Saturday), it was a long wait, but then it’s the right decision, so you don't mind that outcome, but if we’re going to have this technology, it needs to work.

“It’s not going away, we just need to make sure we operate it in the right way and we get the right decision.

"I am for it as ultimately it should get the right decision.”