Motherwell boss blasts VAR officials' failure to award penalty in St Mirren defeat as side go joint bottom

Motherwell boss Steven Hammell blasted the VAR officials for failing to award his side a penalty in their defeat to St Mirren that sent them joint-bottom of the Premiership.

The Steelmen have now gone nine top flight games without a victory after Curtis Main's first half strike against his old side proved enough for the Buddies to take all three points in Paisley.

But Hammell was fuming at the decision to deny his side a spot-kick five minutes after the goal when Ricki Lamie was hauled down in the box by Charles Dunne.

A VAR check was carried out at the time but referee John Beaton wasn't asked to review the incident on the pitch-side screen.

Grant Irvine and Alan Mulvanney were manning the technology and Hammell was incredulous that Beaton didn't get the chance to have a second look at the incident.

Hammell, whose side join Kilmarnock, Ross County and Dundee United at the bottom all on 20 points, said: "We should have had a penalty.

"Our analysts are saying it is a strong penalty claim.

"When I see it back myself, it looks like a strong penalty, especially seeing what has been given earlier this season in our games and other games.

"It looks like a penalty and for the ref to not even be asked to have a look at it, is frustrating to say the least.

"It should be the referee [who has the final call].

"That is what we've been told when we had all the meetings - anything that is contentious will be looked at.

"I don't think in my time here, not once have I questioned a referee or a decision but that today, you are left wondering and looking for an explanation but you get no information at all. None at all.

"It is a worry."

He added: "I don't even know if they check it or whatever. We get no information from them.

"The information was that