Sean Dyche and Steve Cooper slam ref after bad-tempered draw

CRITICISM: Referee John Brooks speaks to Everton's Demarai Gray (right) and Nottingham Forest's Serge Aurier during the Premier League match at the City Ground, Nottingham. Pic: PA

Nottingham Forest 2 Everton 2

Sean Dyche and Steve Cooper both laid into referee John Brooks following an enthralling and bad-tempered encounter that left each side still part of the relegation picture.

Brennan Johnson's superb late equaliser condemned Dyche's Toffees to spend another week in the Premier League drop zone after it looked as though Abdoulaye Doucoure's first goal of the season would be enough to lift them above Leeds.

Johnson, who had already cancelled out Demarai Gray's early penalty opener, had other ideas and produced a 77th-minute equaliser that can only enhance the 21-year-old's reputation as a star in the making.

Dyche was furious that Brooks failed to award a penalty at 1-1 however, when Jack Colback challenged Seamus Coleman from behind on the byline.

"I don't know what gets a penalty any more," complained a manager who had seen the side he took over in January hammered 4-0 at Arsenal in midweek. "Seamus clearly gets in front of him and their lad kicks the back of his foot."

Cooper slated Brooks for an overall performance that repeatedly saw him told by the home fans that he didn't know what he was doing.

"He had too much impact on the game and because of his decisions there were some defining moments," he said. "The free-kick for their second goal there was a foul the other way and he blew up for a foul on Renan Lodi when Brennan was one-on-one. That cannot happen at this level."

Brooks got it spot on in the 10th minute though when Jonjo Shelvey's clumsily tripped Dwight McNeil just inside the box. That gave Gray the opportunity to fire Everton ahead from the spot in the 10th minute, once VAR had checked Forest appeals for a Doucoure handball in the build-up. The former Leicester winger, up front on his own in his first start under Dyche, sent Keylor Navas the wrong way with ease.

Forest replied in the 19th minute with a fine move that was finished off by Johnson. Morgan Gibbs-White turned to find Chris Wood on the edge of the box and sprinted to meet his return pass. Jordan Pickford pushed away the shot that followed but Johnson pounced on the loose ball for the City Ground to erupt.

Then came the Coleman penalty incident but having survived that Forest were undone by a simple game of head tennis in the 29th minute. James Tarkowski headed Jordan Pickford's free-kick across the box, Michael Keane flicked it on and Doucoure nodded it past Navas.

It took Forest a while to recover that lost momentum but Johnson, having been flattened by Ben Godfrey at one end, was in the right place just before the break to stop Gray extending Everton's lead.

A series of bad-tempered shoving matches pumped up the home fans to frenzied proportions and they turned on Brooks for awarding a free-kick despite the evidence of two blue bodies prostrate on the turf.

Johnson kept his cool in all the chaos, however, to tee himself up for the final word. Doucoure surrendered possession and Johnson surged forward to feed Ryan Yates, one of three 70th-minute changes, on the right of the box. Yates passed back to Johnson, who steadied himself to curl past Pickford, who didn't even move.

Forest, who stay 14th, had gone into the game on the back of a 4-0 thrashing of their own - at West Ham last weekend - but their home form is keeping them safe. They have not been bested at the City Ground, in the league at least, since September.

"We definitely deserved at least a draw but we also need to know we have to do better with the goals conceded," Cooper added. "The lads are a bit disappointed they didn't win but they gave everything and showed courage."

"This was a really good away performance," added Dyche, who is also suffering from travel sickness. "It's a great building block to carry on the journey with."

Nottingham Forest (4-3-2-1): Navas 6; Aurier 6, Worrall 7, Felipe 6, Lodi 7; Freuler 7 (Dennis 70, 4), Shelvey 7, Colback 7 (Yates 70, 5); Johnson 8, Gibbs-White 7; Wood 6 (Ayew 71, 4).

Subs (not used): Hennessey, Mangala, Williams, Lingard, Toffolo, Surridge.

Everton (4-1-4-1): Pickford 7; Coleman 7, Keane 7, Tarkowski 7, Godfrey 6; Gueye 6; Iwobi 7 (Davies 89, 3), Onana 6, Doucoure 7, McNeil 7; Gray 6 (Maupay 89, 3).

Sub (not used): Begovic, Holgate, Coady, Mina, Garner, Vinagre, Simms.

Referee: John Brooks 5.