LIVINGSTONE have asked supporters for their views on VAR - but manager David Martindale is in no doubt Scottish referees need the help.

Martindale has a fresh reason to back the technology after Kevin Clancy failed to give his side a ‘stonewall’ penalty against St Johnstone last weekend that could end up costing his side a top-six finish.

The Lions go into tomorrow’s home encounter with Motherwell knowing they need to win to have any chance of finishing in the top half of the table for the third year running.

Martindale is focusing his energies on that short-term goal but has revealed it took him some time to get over his anger from last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at McDiarmid Park.

The Almondvale boss has this week been in communication with the Scottish FA’s head of referees, Crawford Allan, and accepts Clancy’s error was in no way deliberate.

But, while he admits VAR will not remove debate over some contentious decisions, he is convinced the vote should be passed when clubs are balloted on April 19.

He said: “I sent an email [to the SFA] on Sunday after I had tried to calm myself down. I could have done it on Saturday night but [my wife] Martha told me to sleep on it.

“I went to bed at 1am and got up at 6am and had the dog out for two hours. He didn’t even want to go for a walk! We were walking around Inverleith Park with folk looking at us as if we were weird!

“I got the reply from Crawford Allan and as always it was very balanced. I don’t think Kevin is biased, he made a mistake.

“If we had VAR would he have given us that penalty? I think he would have.

"I don’t think any referee at any level goes out to be biased. But it was a big mistake and it’s like when a goalkeeper makes a big mistake, it is going to be spoken about.

“But I think the referees need VAR. We need to help them. The game is far quicker and more powerful. So I think they need a hand because the game has evolved.

“Will we still have debates with VAR? Probably. But I also think we’ll get more decisions right than we are at the moment.”

Livingston’s failure to make the top-six this weekend - they are eighth but would go above Motherwell in fifth if they win the teams’ head-to-head - would cost the West Lothian club much-needed finance.

But if they do make it, Martindale admits he will revel in again proving people wrong.

Livi were tipped to be relegated at the start of the season and the Lions boss was questioned when he boldly stated ‘for a fact’ his team would not be relegated way back in August.

He added: “We know we need to win to get in the top-six, so that’s what we’re going to try to do.

“If we get top-six I’ll probably spend Saturday night trying to find all the tweets from everyone so I can  actively chase them! That would be nice!

“I keep saying every pre-season, ‘I need to remember that one’. Then you forget after two weeks!

“I think it would be a huge testament to everyone at the football club. We’re a close-knit team here. There’s a lot of people here who work closely together, it would be huge for everyone.

“But if we don’t get in we still have to put the season into context. My aim this year was to finish 10th and stay in the league, and we’re on course to do that.

“But it would be massive to get into the top-six.”