Toney free-kick: Forest write to PGMOL for clarity over Brentford striker's goal

Nottingham Forest have written to the head of Premier League referees asking for clarity over Ivan Toney's controversial free-kick on Saturday.

Toney was seen to move the ball - and the referee's vanishing spray - to the right of where it had originally been placed following Orel Mangala's foul on Mikel Damsgaard on the edge of the Forest box.

Toney went on to curl his free-kick wide of the Forest wall and in at the near post. Forest ended up losing the game 3-2.

Forest manager Nuno Espírito Santo said in his post-match news conference that he was unhappy with the "ball displacement", adding that it should have been checked by VAR.

However, Sky Sports News has been told that Forest officials went to see referee Darren England after the game, who told them that such incidents are not within the remit of VAR to address.

International Football Association Board protocols don't allow VAR to check where the ball has been placed for a free-kick - that is solely the responsibility of the on-field match officials.

As a result, Forest have written to Howard Webb to ask for clarity on whether Toney broke the rules in moving the ball and the vanishing spray, and whether that is something that should come under VAR's remit, when it leads directly to a goal.

FA rules state free-kicks must be "taken from the place where the offence occurred" but the 27-year-old's actions appeared to go unnoticed by the officials.

Toney explained why he moved the ball after the game, saying: "I think you have a yard either way. I just moved it and bent it around the corner."

Espirito Santo questioned why Toney's goal was allowed to stand, saying: "Of course, I have [an issue].

"Everyone in this room can see it was a ball displacement. Every goal must be checked.