STEVEN Davis’ recent heartbreaks have forced him to reconsider his view on the potential use of video technology to help referees make correct decisions.

Having been victim of a wrong penalty decision that cost Northern Ireland a dream place at the World Cup, Davis then watched in horror as Abdoulaye Doucoure’s 90th minute handball goal robbed Saints of a vital victory in the 2-2 draw at Watford on Saturday.

After the Doucoure goal and the incorrect call in Northern Ireland's World Cup play-off against Switzerland, the experienced midfielder’s view of video assisted referees (VAR) has changed.

“I was never a great advocate of it before but when it happened in a game of that magnitude in an international game where a small nation like ourselves had a chance to go a World Cup, it makes you think differently about the situation,” he said.

“That was ultimately the decision that cost us going there (to the World Cup).

“Again, today, we don’t know how important that will prove to be but, listen, it would have been a huge boost had we got the three points today.

“But there are some positives take; we played really well in the first half.

“The second half we have to learn from that again. I’m sick of saying it all the time that we need to learn from it because we need to go out and show it.

“The lads dug in in the second half and you need those decisions to go for you.

“You know you’ll come under pressure for a period of the game,” he said, referring to Watford's sustained pressure in the second half.

“They went quite direct and picked up second balls and changed the style of play in the game. It was a difficult second half for us.”

Frenchman Doucoure, 25, used his hand to prod the ball past Alex McCarthy, making it 2-2 at Vicarage Road in the final minute.

James Ward-Prowse’s brace had given Saints a two-goal lead at half time before the struggling Hornets piled on the pressure after the break, following Troy Deeney's introduction.

A self-critical Davis admits he should never have given the ball away to allow Watford to attack and eventually make it 2-1 through Andre Gray on 58 minutes.

The captain was also philosophical about conceding to the handball so late in the game, despite it costing Saints a first league win in ten games and leaving them deep in a relegation scrap.

“Clearly it shouldn’t have stood; it’s a big decision to go against us in the position we’re in,” he said.

“But, ultimately, I think we should do better ourselves and look at ourselves first and do better.

“We had a good first half, but, for me personally, I can’t give the ball away in that area for the first goal.

“We seem to be getting punished for those errors we’re making.”

On the late equaliser, he continued: “It’s difficult to accept. You need decisions to go for you when you’re in the position that we are and I thought at the time it was handball and, having seen it again, it was definitely handball.

“They’re never going to be honest about it; everybody is fighting for every point that they can get.

“It’s difficult league and they’ve been on a bad run and a difficult moment.

“For them, they’ve got that little slice of luck today with the decision going their way and for us it’s gone the other way.”

He added: “We all know referees have got a difficult job but in games of magnitude and importance you need those decisions to go for you.

“It’ll even out, everyone says it does but I don’t think we’ve had too much luck this season in all honesty.

“But hopefully now in the remaining games we will get that bit of luck.”