'Rubbish' - Plymouth Argyle boss Ryan Lowe hopes he never encounters VAR again after Sheffield United FA Cup tie

United thought they had a good case for handball when Kelland Watts appeared to handle a well-struck shot from Ethan Ampadu as he rampaged forward.The incident was examined by the VAR, Australian referee Jarred Gillett, but it wasn't given.

Chris Wilder, the United manager, was at a loss to explain why in his post-match press conference and although Lowe insisted he didn't have a good enough view of the incident in real time to comment, there was no doubt about his views on the video assistant referee technology.

"Rubbish," said Lowe, when asked about his first experience of VAR.

"On the penalty shout, I couldn't really see it but we were waiting for a while.

"I'm glad I don't have to deal with that every week. I didn't enjoy it to be honest, in terms of the delay.

"It slows it down. It was my first experience of VAR and hopefully my last."

Lowe was more positive about his team's display at Bramall Lane, after their 2-1 defeat to the Premier League side.

"They're a very good team, they press and move the ball in good areas," said the former Sheffield Wednesday man.

"It was a great experience for us, to push them all the way, I'm disappointed we didn't score in the first half but they're a fantastic outfit with a fantastic manager and staff. So I'm proud of how we performed."

SPECIAL OFFER: By subscribing to The Star’s sports-only digital package you help us to continue providing the best coverage of Sheffield United. Until February 1 there’s 20% off a year’s subscription, taking you through what is expected to be a busy transfer window. All the details are HERE, just use the promo code TRANSFER20.