Ritchie makes Burton pay penalty

A PENALTY controversially given and even more controversially disallowed was the main talking point as Rafa Benitez marked his 50th game in charge of Newcastle with a scrappy victory.

Though the Magpies had dominated the opening halfhour, the game looked to be going nowhere when Dwight Gayle went down theatrically when challenged by Tom Flanagan and referee Keith Stroud pointed to the spot.

It was more Flanagan and Allen than Flanagan and Gayle but Burton were not laughing as Matt Ritchie converted. The joke though

NEWCASTLE

turned out to be on the celebrating Geordies as the goal was disallowed for no clear reason that the 48,814 crowd could discern. Several minutes of consultation between officials ensued before a free-kick was awarded to the visitors.

That decision upped the decibel levels and the attacking tempo of a fuming home side but it remained goalless at half-time. Leading scorer Gayle had also gone down in the area in the sixth minute but Stroud waved away the appeals for a penalty.

Ayoze Perez had goalbound shot blocked couple of minutes later and Jonjo Shelvey and Mohamed Diame directed efforts wide.

Jackson Irvine then lashed Burton’s first effort just over Karl Darlow’s crossbar.

When Luke Varney sent in a dangerous low cross midway through the half the visitors might have felt they were getting into the game, especially after their penalty a a ❑ THREE goals in the space of seven second-half minutes helped Huddersfield maintain their reprieve in the 29th minute. outside hopes of automatic Burton kept parity through promotion as they condemned Norwich to half-time and continued to a 3-0 defeat at the John Smith’s to dig in after the interval. Stadium. The Toon, looking to go Elias Kachunga put them ahead straight back up into the from a narrow angle in the top flight, pressed after the break but Perez fired a 66th minute before Aaron Mooy shot wide when he found the corner to double the lead should have scored, four minutes later. while Ritchie was Nahki Wells then fired in his denied by a fine save 10th goal of the campaign at the end from Jon McLaughlin of a slick passing move to complete as Burton showed why the Terriers’ biggest league win of the they had lost only one of their previous six games. season as they reclaimed third place. The winner came in the The emphatic victory also kept the 68th minute when Ritchie pressure on pace-setters Newcastle scored a superb solo goal, and Brighton, while also ending curling a shot into the top the Canaries’ slim play-off hopes. corner from 20 yards.