Chris
A relieved Steve Cooper was happy to accept a VAR ruling that finally went Nottingham Forest’s way in last night’s 1-1 draw with Burnley – but was less happy with the circumstances around Lyle Foster’s disallowed goal.
The Reds had to come from 1-0 down, after Zeki Amdouni’s first half drive gave the visitors a chance of their first win since their Premier League return. A curling equaliser from Callum Hudson-Odoi announced his arrival at the City Ground but hopes of going on and winning the game looked to have taken a big blow when Sander Berge burst past Scott McKenna and squared for Foster to roll into the net.
The ‘goal’ was initially given but ruled out after a VAR check, leaving Cooper with mixed emotions and sending a clear message to McKenna.
“From what I was told it was a clear handball, so we will accept that, some of the VAR things that have gone in other games against us, you know, with the referee that was on the game tonight,” Cooper told Sky Sports.
I was more, if am being honest, disappointed with the defending in that moment because you can defend well throughout a game and just have one moment that can cost you a game and we nearly had it in the first half and we nearly did it again.
“OK it’s handball. My focus really is on that and how we should deal with those situations better but OK, trust the process, they gave handball and we move on.”
Forest were also undone in the first half when Clarets’ teenage winger Luca Koleosho escaped debutant Gonzalo Montiel and flew past McKenna’s centre back partner Joe Worrall in the build-up to Amdouni’s opener.
