Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper admits they were flat for defeat to Everton.

Everton won 1-0 at Forest thanks to Dwight McNeil's winner.

Cooper later said: “We've conceded a typical Everton goal in how they create chances - balls into the box, kept alive, put back into the box and aiming for certain players. We did a lot of work on it all week but succumbed to it that particular time," he said.

“That was disappointing. The lad has taken it well.

“We weren't productive enough in the final third. For all the times we got there we haven't shown enough creativity, enough guile or enough quality to really create more chances than we did. When we did create chances, we haven't even hit the target.

“If you look at their goal, it's very clinical. If you look at us in those moments, Jordan Pickford hasn't even had to make a save.

“The game didn't have a load of chances. Murillo cleared one off the line, but that was our doing. The one real chance they've had, he's taken it really well. The ones we've had, we've not shown enough of the quality you need at this level to score goals.

“The other real talking point is the difference in decision-making over penalties, with (Abdoulaye) Doucoure on Yates compared to the one which was given against us last week. I won't hide behind the decision with the result - just like I didn't last week - but if last week was a penalty, then it has to be one today. We've had two very experienced referees in the last two games and they couldn't be any further away from being consistent in those moments.

“It wasn't the only factor in why we didn't score a goal. We have to own the other reasons as well."