ANGRY COOPER DEMANDS REFEREE REVIEW

STEVE COOPER called for referee chiefs to examine the decisions made by John Brooks after suggesting the official had fallen short of the Premier League standard in the draw with Everton. The Nottingham Forest boss was furious that the away side were not penalised for a foul just before the free-kick that led to their second goal, and similarly aghast that advantage was not played in the second half when Brennan Johnson was clean through.

‘The referee has had too much involvement,’ said Cooper, who was keen to speak to Brooks after completing his media duties.

‘The key one was the decision that ended up with the ball going in the box for Everton’s second goal. It should have been a foul the other way on Morgan Gibbs-White.

‘And before James Tarkowski was booked for fouling Renan Lodi, the referee blew up when Brennan was through one on one. That cannot happen at this level.

‘It is not good for him, either, because he is going to be gutted with that and probably will be looked at I hope, by the people responsible. It’s a pity things like that are affecting games. Everton have done all right out of the referee today.’ Everton manager Sean Dyche was similarly irritated with Brooks after his side were furious to be denied a penalty when Seamus Coleman and Jack Colback tangled in the first half, when the score was 1-1.

Dyche said: ‘I asked the referee and he didn’t think it was a penalty. I said, “I don’t know what is then”.

‘You touch someone on the shoulder and they go down, it’s a penalty. Seamus gets there, puts his foot in front of Colback, he kicks his foot and it’s not a penalty.’