Dermot Gallagher verdict on Liverpool and Nottingham Forest incident - and why VAR didn't intervene

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has claimed that Paul Tierney will be feeling 'mortified' over his actions during Liverpool and Nottingham Forest over the weekend.

The Reds earned a valuable three points right at the death as Darwin Nunez rose to head home in the final minute of nine additional minutes at the City Ground. However, Forest fans felt aggrieved over the goal as there was contentious moment involving a drop-ball that occurred two minutes prior.

Tierney failed to follow the rules accordingly after Ibrahim Konate collided with his own player, Forest were in possession but the referee stopped the game and gave the ball to Liverpool, in a decision that Alan Shearer branded 'totally wrong'. And the Sky Sports Ref Watch panel, which includes former players Stephen Warnock and Sue Smith alongside Gallagher, agreed over the decision. However, Gallagher revealed the rules and what Tierney did wrong.

"The law has changed. The ball has left the penalty area and that means the drop-ball has to be: A, to the team who had possession of the ball and Callum Hudson-Odoi had the ball so you can either drop it to him or one of his teammates but it must be dropped at that point where he stopped it. And that's the difference, because he didn't stop it in the penalty area it doesn't go back to Kelleher.

"What happens is very much a red herring because the game went on for so long, it was one minute and 50 seconds before the goal was scored so I can't see how that is directly attributable to the goal. He [Tierney] will no doubt be beating himself up thinking 'How did I make this mistake?' but he will also be questioning 'Why didn't one of my colleagues say anything?'." Gallagher also cleared up why VAR couldn't get involved after being questioned, "It didn't lead directly to a goal so VAR couldn't get involved. It was also a restart and they don't watch restarts."