O'Hara blasts VAR after Southampton's controversial goal against West Ham

Hammers boss David Moyes was furious the opening goal in the 1-1 draw at St Mary's was allowed to stand and declared 'whoever was on VAR today needs to go to Specsavers'.

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Jarrod Bowen had his path to the ball blocked by the referee, which then allowed Romain Perraud to take possession and fire home from 20 yards.

Former Tottenham and Wolves midfielder Jamie O'Hara echoed the views of Moyes.

He claimed the Saints goal should have been ruled out by VAR for the official obstructing Bowen and claimed there was even a foul throw in the build up.

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He told talkSPORT Breakfast: "Kyle Walker-Peters had a throw-in, it was a foul throw by the way as he had his foot on the line, it comes into the box and they try to clear it.

"It is falling to Bowen, who is going to try and clear the ball, and the ref gets in the way of Bowen.

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"The Southampton player is able to control it and put it in the bottom corner. The ref allowed it!

"I couldn't believe what I was watching, a shocking decision. The ref is completely obstructing Bowen from clearing the ball. How he allowed that goal to stand I will never know.

"A clown must have been in the VAR booth. If you are looking at that any not seeing the referee was in the way…"

Breakfast host Laura Woods said: "I don't think he is a clown."

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O'Hara replied: "I'm sorry, it's one of the worst decisions I've ever seen. He's in the way."

However, while West Ham rightly felt aggrieved at the referee inadvertently interfering with the goal, it is understood the officials was following the rules by not ruling it out.

As the ball did not directly touch the referee, there is nothing in the law book to say play should have been stopped.

And the much-debated throw-in by Walker-Peters was also within the rules as the Southampton full-back had one foot partly on the line.

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That was not the only decision, however, that left Moyes angry, with the West Ham boss also claiming his side should have had a penalty.

"How have we not got three points?" said Moyes. "The real reason is the referee, the referee gets in the way of the ability for us to defend.

"The ball comes out and Jarrod Bowen goes to get the ball and the referee blocks Jarrod Bowen from getting to it and the boy scores from it.

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"Ridiculous, it really is. Wait until you see the angles and the pictures and you will soon see how terrible it is that he allows it to go on. You can't get in the way of somebody getting it and allowing it to go and it ends up as a goal.

"I asked him (referee Peter Bankes) about it, but I spoke to him more about the penalty kick. The penalty kick on Tomas Soucek is a judo move by the player who is marking him.

"There must be new rules in football, so you should check out the new rules which are that you can grab them right around the waist and you can hold them and then you can put them in a judo move, where you slam them down.

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"He gets him and throws him right down, it's unreal. It's not the referee, it is VAR. Whoever was on VAR today needs to go to Specsavers, I've got to say."

It is not the first time West Ham have been on the wrong end of a controversial VAR call this season.

Back in September, they had an equaliser against Chelsea chalked off when Bowen was adjudged to have fouled Edouard Mendy. A decision that the PGMOL later admitted was incorrect.