Newcastle United fans were left scratching their heads after Matt Ritchie’s penalty was ruled out by referee Keith Stroud during Wednesday night’s Championship game against Burton Albion.

The former Bournemouth man put the Magpies ahead after half an hour of play when he converted from the penalty spot.

It was awarded after Dwight Gayle was fouled in the area, but a few minutes later the same Newcastle player was the cause of a bizarre refereeing decision.

During Ritchie’s goal celebrations, the referee ruled out his spot-kick, claiming that Gayle was guilty of encroachment.

As a result, the man in the middle awarded an indirect free kick to Burton when he should have allowed Ritchie to retake the penalty.

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) have since released a statement confirming that Stroud made the wrong decision.

The mistake did not affect Newcastle too much as Ritchie went on to score again and snatch three points with a 1-0 win, but fans were left angered and baffled by the penalty blunder.