Kieran Trippier shares what he said to the referee after he gave a penalty against Newcastle yesterday

By Ben Evans

Newcastle United kept their fantastic record at St. James’ Park going with a last-gasp win over Fulham yesterday.

Alexander Isak’s free header earned Eddie Howe’s side a vital three points in the race for European football.

There was a contentious decision at the other end, with The Athletic relaying what Kieran Trippier said to the referee in the second-half.

The full-back gave away a penalty after a VAR review, having tangled with Fulham’s Bobby De Cordova-Reid.

De Cordova-Reid appeared to catch Trippier first, before the Newcastle defender brought him down.

The referee didn’t make an on-field decision, but was eventually directed to the monitor when he then pointed to the spot.

Newcastle breathed a collective sigh of relief, as Aleksandar Mitrovic dispatched his penalty, but saw it disallowed for double contact.

It was the turning point in the game, giving Newcastle further belief that they could go on to win the tie.

What Trippier said to the referee after giving away the penalty

The 32-year-old Newcastle defender was bemused when he realised he’d been penalised.

The Athletic report that, ‘Kieran Trippier rolled down his right sock; red welts streaked the crown of his foot. “There,” he said, pointing. “I’ve got a massive cut. I can’t even remember going in for a tackle.

“I thought it was Dan’s [Burn] challenge, when that happened, I thought, ‘It’s going to be a penalty here’, and when the referee said it was me, I couldn’t believe it.

“All I can remember is De Cordova-Reid standing on my foot. I can remember him standing on top of me.”

Thanks to Mitrovic’s slip, Trippier and his Newcastle teammates came away with another clean sheet.

Their defensive record is extraordinary, having last conceded in the league against Southampton at the start of November.

Trippier’s crossing wasn’t up to his usual standard yesterday, but he laid the ball off to Sean Longstaff to deliver the killer blow in the final moments.

It was teammate Joelinton who really impressed, with his work-rate once again highlighted during the game.

Trippier will be hoping to avoid any further conversations with the referee this season after what was said yesterday.