Robson angry with O'Brien card

The Magpies ultimately slipped to a 5-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge, but Robson felt they were in the game until O'Brien was dismissed.

O'Brien was sent off for a foul in the area on Adrian Mutu, although the offence, a minor one, appeared to take place outside the box.

Durkin, though, felt the offence warranted a red card and Frank Lampard added insult to injury by slamming home the spot kick.

"We started well, played an extra man in midfield to quell Makekele, who against our 4-4-2 would have been a spare player so we played Viana, but that was kyboshed when we lost Andy O'Brien," said Robson.

"The boy was unhappy with the decision, because he felt Mutu overran the ball, lost the ball and tumbled.

"He did not foul him in the box and it was not a penalty.

"It meant we were down to ten men at half time to a vibrant Chelsea side so I am not happy with the decision and it killed the game off frankly.

"The game was over at half time and we did really well with ten men after the break.

"I thought we could have been on the end of a battering, which is what I told the players, but for a long time it looked good.

"But we finished poorly. Shay made a poor kick, which went straight to Duff who skipped past Caldwell and flashed it into the back of the net.

"The fifth, well where my central defenders went I don't know, maybe they were sat with me, but Gudjohnsen got a free header at the back post to score the fifth.

"We came here full of confidence, after winning in Basel, and thought today could be our day to win but they turned us over."