Steve Bruce says referee on Premier League debut made ‘mistake after mistake’ in Newcastle’s defeat to Burnely

Tim Robinson refereed his first top flight fixture on Saturday and Bruce was heavily critical of his performance.

Chris Wood scored the only goal of the game just before the hour mark at Turf Moor.

Bruce told talkSPORT: “Well it wasn’t pretty was it? Let’s be honest in awful conditions. As a football player it is your worst nightmare with howling winds, rain, sleet and snow and all the rest of it.

“It was one of them where you hope it didn’t rest on the referee’s decision especially when the referee, we knew on Tuesday, was making his debut.

“For the goal, he’s given a goal kick he thought was ours then changed his mind to a linesman’s decision who was 80 yards away.

“Of course we can defend the corner better but it’s a free-kick and when games are decided on big decisions like they are today then I have to question them and was he ready for the Premier League? He looked a little bit short to me.

“I’m sorry to say that and from the first whistle he made mistake after mistake and that cost us badly.”

VAR denied Burnley a penalty when the ball struck the hand of Paul Dummett and Bruce felt play should have already been stopped for a free-kick.

He added: “It has gone to VAR and VAR have obviously not taken or have not seen that. That’s what VAR is for. Look he is five yards away from the incident we are talking about and he has blown his whistle and I thought he had given a free-kick and apparently the ball has not gone out.

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