Nottingham Forest 2-3 Bournemouth: Dominic Solanke scores winner to complete late hat-trick as ten-man Forest are beaten in Nuno Espirito Santo’s first game

Ask any Premier League manager what he or she would like for Christmas and it's a good bet that most would do away with VAR.

After the latest pantomime, this time at Nottingham Forest, it seems fair to ask many more people: will it take someone to admit that the system needs a rethink?

Dominic Solanke will not get the plaudits he deserves for his match-winning hat-trick, with the decisive goal coming in the fourth minute of extra time. That's because Nuno Espirito Santo's first game as Forest manager since replacing Steve Cooper saw his side forced to play with ten men for three quarters of the match due to one of the most ridiculous decisions of the season.

When Rob Jones showed Willy Boly a second yellow card in the 23rd minute for a clean tackle on Adam Smith, it was an obvious error that could certainly be corrected. Right? Wrong. The VAR is not allowed to intervene in yellow cards, so Boly had to leave the field.

Naturally, we cannot have every booking assessed by the VAR. It's already ruining the show in its current form. But if it's helpless to act in the face of such a colossal blooper, then what's it for?

Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner remains dejected after Solanke scored a late winner

Forest suffered late pain as they were defeated in Nuno Espirito Santo's first match in charge

Forest fans let Jones know what they thought, as well as an angry tweet from the club's official account at half-time. Forest then surprisingly took the lead through Anthony Elanga and after Solanke had turned the game around, an own goal by substitute Luis Sinisterra brought Forest back to level in the final phase. A point would have been an excellent result, but they were denied by Solanke's precise header.

Boly may have been only lucky to be shown the yellow card when he knocked Solanke to the ground as he raced past him in the fifth minute, but the awarding of the second yellow card was a terrible misjudgment by Jones.

Solanke charged towards Boly, shuffled and moved to the right but was denied by a fine interception from the Forest man. Boly sprang to his feet and made an equally impressive challenge to win the ball from Smith – and was understandably shocked to see Jones marching towards him with a yellow card in hand.

Replays soon showed that Jones had made a howler, but with VAR not having the power to overturn bookings, nothing could be done to save Jones' embarrassment or fully restore Forest.

Previously, Forest, playing in a 4-2-3-1 system, had given a good impression of themselves. Chris Wood managed to get past Marcos Senesi before finishing weakly, and Elanga's effort from the edge of the box was too close to Neto.

The players of Nottingham Forest celebrate Chris Wood's equalizer, which had made the score 2-2

Solanke celebrates after scoring Bournemouth's equalizer in the 51st minute

Solanke managed to guide the ball out of the reach of Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner

Forest defender WIlly Boly was controversially sent off in the 23rd minute of the match

The red card meant Nuno had to scrap his plans. He replaced Divock Origi, who had started on the right wide, with centre-back Moussa Niakhate and switched to a 4-4-1 formation.

Forest players and fans were already seething with anger and became even angrier around the half-hour mark. Harry Toffolo's cross hit Smith on the arm and although the Bournemouth defender appeared to be just inside the penalty area, VAR decided there was not enough evidence to ask Jones to overturn his decision.

Jones was booed at half-time and Forest's official X account also turned up nothing. 'We've been let down again by terrible decisions, but we're on track' was their post during the break.

Forest fans groaned with frustration as they watched the replays on the hall screens at half-time, but early in the second half they were able to forget their displeasure for a moment. Alex Scott, who had replaced Lewis Cook in the first half, was caught in possession by Wood. The pass was matched by an excellent finish from Elanga, who guided the ball into the far corner and promptly slotted it into the Trent End.

The home team's joy did not last long. Four minutes later, Senesi crossed from the left and Solanke sneaked away from Murillo before sending a looping header over Matt Turner. Turner was responsible for Tottenham's second goal in Cooper's last game and at first glance it looked like he could have done better here.

Bournemouth felt their time had come. Neco Williams did brilliantly to clear Antoine Semenyo's effort off the line while Turner was nowhere, but the visitors were not to be denied. Philip Billing won a header in the penalty area and the ball clipped Williams and fell perfectly for Solanke, who fired into the corner.

That should have been that, but Forest were goaded by Boly's red card and leveled with sixteen minutes remaining. Morgan Gibbs-White's corner was met by Wood and would probably have been saved by Neto had Sinisterra not thrown himself in front of his goalkeeper and headed into the net. Forest were pushing again and the excellent Gibbs-White's effort was hacked off the line by Dango Ouattara, while at the other end substitute David Brooks hit the outside of a post.

Just when a draw looked the most likely outcome, Smith crossed from the right and Solanke planted a header into the far corner, with Turner again slow to react. There would be no third comeback and Gibbs-White headed for Jones full-time. It wasn't hard to imagine what was going on in his head.

Forest players celebrate after Anthony Elanga's goal put them ahead against Bournemouth