Head coach Steve Cooper was left frustrated by some poor decision-making from his side as Nottingham Forest lost 2-1 to Newcastle United at the City Ground.
Emmanuel Dennis had opened the scoring for the hosts with an exquisite finish after 26 minutes. But the Reds had been riding their luck and were pegged back just before the break.
The woodwork had twice come to Forest’s rescue in the first half, and they had VAR to thank in the second when Elliot Anderson’s effort was ruled out for offside. There was no arguing with the handball by Moussa Niakhate in added time, however, and Alexander Isak took the opportunity to win it from the spot at the death with his second of the match.
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It was a real sickener for the hosts, who saw their nine-match unbeaten run in the league at home brought to an end. Cooper’s side are now without a win in six going into the international break.
“We’re really frustrated to lose. It was a difficult game.
“The main talking points for me are how we didn’t manage ourselves around the two goals. The timing of the goals are moments in the game where you just have to see it out.
“The first goal was right at the end of the first half, and the second was right at the end of the second. For us to make those decisions in the build-up is something you will get punished for at this level. That’s where my immediate frustration is, and the players will be frustrated with that as well.
“I won’t dwell on the fact too much, because as I said we made our own decisions, but it was definitely a foul on Andre (Ayew) in the build-up (to Newcastle’s first goal). The referee has made a poor decision and so have we. And then the handball is something we can’t argue with, and we’re punished with the penalty going in.”
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