Darren Moore pleased 'lethargic' West Brom salvaged a point

The Baggies boss admitted his team were off-colour against Martin O'Neill's men in the midweek 2-2 draw, and put it down to the volume of games catching up with his players.

He thought the controversial 89th-minute penalty won by a Dwight Gayle looked like a spot-kick in real time but O'Neill said: "Everyone I've spoken to says it was a dive."

Moore said: "I'm delighted with the point if I'm honest. The performance, when I look back at it now, the word I'd use is lethargic.

"It wasn't just one or two it was the whole team really. I think maybe it's just the volume of games. I know it's a 46-game season but the volume of games caught up with us tonight.

"We weren't fluid. We gave them a goal and that gave us a mountain to climb.

"The positive for me was the way they kept going until the end. They've had to pull themselves back, and Forest put 10 men behind the ball, it's very difficult to get back into it.

"We earned a point. In real time it looked a penalty to me. Once I look back at it, I'll give my own opinion.

"I thought the way the boys kept going was the most pleasing thing for me on a night when the performance wasn't at its best.

"If you're not to win a game, make sure you don't lose it."

When it was put to Moore that Gayle could face retrospective action for what appeared on replays to be simulation, he said: "We'll have to wait and see. The referee was in the perfect position, he's given the penalty kick.

"We have to trust what the referee sees at the time. He's got a far more closer view to what I've had."

Albion gifted Forest the lead six minutes in with another sloppy mistake in defence, after doing something similar against Middlesbrough in the last league game at The Hawthorns.

"Whenever you give away sloppy goals like that, it's something to scrutinise a little bit more, to try and eradicate them," said Moore. "They can't keep happening."

But Moore defended his approach to play out from the back after Craig Dawson's pass inside to Jake Livermore was pounced on by the visitors.

The Albion head coach said: "It's what's got us to where we are now, we continue to play the football that we feel is right with the personnel we've got at the club.

"Whenever there's a transition sometimes you've got to take the rough with the smooth in order to bypass that and set a culture. There's some magnificent footballers at this club.

"There's lot to be learned in and out of possession. We've been working defensively off the ball, we've tightened that up, we're trying to work better on the ball to get into scoring positions."

O'Neill was disappointed after the game, and said he'd spoken to his defenders, who claimed they didn't touch Gayle, as well as referee Lee Mason.

The Forest boss said: "I spoke to the referee, he said it if it was a mistake it was an honest one and I accept that.

"It certainly looked like a dive, I've seen it back twice from a rather long lens angle and not on TV but everyone I have spoken to says it was a dive.

"In this day and age, it was very difficult for a referee, harder than it's ever been.

"(Joe) Lolley's was a penalty as well so it's double disappointment.

"It would have been great to have won the game, away from home against a side looking for automatic promotion."