Burnley boss Sean Dyche 'incredibly frustrated' by the decisions of referee Robert Jones in Leeds United defeat

Leeds United took the lead in the fourth minute when referee Robert Jones awarded a contentious spot kick after Nick Pope had challenged Patrick Bamford inside the penalty area.

The decision, as is customary, was referred to Stockley Park where it was reviewed and supported by VAR officials Michael Oliver and Andrew Halliday.

Bamford, who spent just short of four months on loan at Turf Moor during the 2016/17 campaign, picked himself up and converted to take his tally to 10 for the season.

Dyche, however, simply can't fathom how the decision was ratified having watched the incident back countless times.

He said: "It's always a strange one when they use the 'it's your opinion thing' and then you remind them that you've just seen it about 15 times. I am incredibly frustrated today, as you can imagine.

"I think Popey's got the ball, you can tell by the trajectory of the ball."

Jones was then in the thick of it again when blowing his whistle for a foul on French goalkeeper Illan Meslier before Ashley Barnes fired into the back of the net.

The former Lorient stopper collided with Burnley defender Ben Mee, who was inexplicably penalised as the ball slipped from the 20-year-old's grasp.

"I've spoken endlessly about the game and where it's going physically," said Dyche.

"I don't know why the referee hasn't given himself five or six seconds, Barnesy whacks it in the goal, and then he can see that the keeper is miles out of his goal, Ben Mee clearly does nothing other than attempt to win a header, he doesn't even look at the man.

"He purely looks at the ball, the keeper knees him in the back, drops the ball and somehow that's a foul! That's an impossibility, even with the modern protection of keepers.

"They were two very important decisions that have gone against us today!"

Jones was taking charge of only his fourth Premier League fixture - his third this term after overseeing Fulham's games against West Ham United and Brighton.

Dyche, who felt there was a clear irregularity in decisions throughout the 90 minutes, believes that the 'top' referees should be appointed at this level when there's so much riding on games.

He said: "When I mention referees getting us in games, I always feel why don't we get the big referees?

"We are working to get more points on the table and it seems vital to have these games refereed properly.

"That being said, the only way referees can learn and improve is to get out there and do it, you just hope that along their journeys you don't get a day like today where things go against you that are probably more easily manageable.

"The referees have got to learn somewhere."

Dyche added: "If the referee is suggesting, as he did to me, that he felt he had a decent game today, then that needs to be fed back.

"That is for the powers that be.

"I would like to think that games that are important when you are fighting at the bottom end, like at the top end, then you get your fair share of top referees.

"There is no point (in taking the complaint further). We are told to give feedback, which I did today.

"I feedback to the PGMOL, I feed back to the Premier League, they always ask for feedback and not a lot is changing

"We are in an awkward situation because then with the media you can bring the game into disrepute, which is bizarre, when you see how much cheating there is in the game.

"I think I have said enough on that."