FOREST:SO V AR

Cooper’s men back where they belong in big time

WELCOME back to the land of milk and honey, Forest.

In the directors’ box upstairs, Old Big ‘Ead will be nodding his approval.

But Steve Cooper’s braves had better be ready for the wretched nonsense of VAR, the pile of junk which belongs in a landfill site, to ruin countless weekends in the Premier League.

At the richest game in football, where the atmosphere was better than the officials’ judgement, it was Nottingham Forest’s friend this time. Not to put too fine a point on it, they got away with one. And they absconded into the twilight with £180million of loot.

Forest deserve to go up because they were so far off the pace last September they were in danger of being lapped. Their recovery under Cooper’s tutelage has been breathtaking.

But what is the point of VAR if it is not to ensure that justice is done?

On the day, Huddersfield were fleeced by one, if not two, penalty decisions and the better team probably lost.

Referee Jon Moss, in his last game before retirement at 51, made two critical mistakes – and his mate Paul Tierney, the VAR sitting in a bunker, did nothing to correct them.

So Forest scrambled through the skylight thanks to an own goal and incompetent application of VAR. All of a sudden, Mull of Kintyre – the adopted anthem of Robin Hood country – is a call to arms instead of a requiem to a golden age.

Far have they travelled and much have they seen in the last 23 years, but seldom has there been a more welcome return to the top-flight roster.

For 43 minutes, Forest’s only sighting of the promised land was Ryan Yates’ glancing header just wide.

Then on-loan Manchester United midfielder James Garner whipped a cross-shot towards the far post and Levi Colwill, under pressure from Yates, could only spoon it high past his own keeper Lee Nicholls. Don’t blame Colwill – that ricochet off his knee could have gone anywhere.

Unfortunately for the Terriers, who had started to look threatening on the counter, it flew into the top corner.

But Huddersfield finished third in the Championship for a reason: They are a decent side – compact, busy and resilient.

Skipper Jonathan Hogg should have done better with a nearpost header, and then controversy took over.

Harry Toffolo burst into the

box, appeared to be clipped by Jack Colback and Moss, to widespread outrage in West Yorkshire, administered a yellow card for diving to the Huddersfield wing-back.

For the first time, VAR was in use for the play-off final – and with so much at stake, you would have thought it was worthwhile insurance against unjust clangers.

Incredibly Tierney, the official at Stockley Park, saw no reason to intervene – more compelling evidence that technology is useless unless competent officials are hired to use it.

TV cameras captured

Colback crossing himself, as if to admit he had got away with a £180m mistake, and Forest – out on their feet in several cases – breathed again.

As if to underline that Huddersfield’s luck was out completely, Moss was also not interested when Forest sub Max Lowe’s challenge on Lewis O’brien was deemed permissible.

Enjoy the Premier League, Forest, because injustice and aggravation from interfering (or non-interfering) jobsworths are coming to ruin a football match near you soon.