Matt Ritchie returned Newcastle to the top of the Championship but everyone left St James’ Park talking about his goal that never was.
Ritchie curled in from the edge of the area midway through the second half to seal victory over Nigel Clough’s fast-improving Burton but for a large portion of the match it appeared they would be denied by Stroud’s controversial scrubbing of the Scotland international’s penalty on the half-hour.
Stroud appeared to blunder, ruling out the goal for encroachment when such an offence would usually result in a re-take – an action that sparked heated protests on the pitch and a cauldron of anger and confusion in the stands.