"Everything was against us. You could see in the game we have a lot of things we can complain about. But I was really surprised with (Henri) Lansbury. 

"The way he was acting, twice with the penalties and also with Jonjo Shelvey, but maybe he's proud of himself.

"If the referee cannot see that Lansbury was kicking Jonjo before, I will not defend Jonjo as he made a mistake, but (Lansbury) was kicking him before from behind. Sometimes the FA take action also on the players that are over-reacting, so (maybe that will happen here).

"(With Dummett's sending off) it was very clear the number 10 (Lansbury) was waiting for him. So maybe again the FA can analyse this and see the behaviour of the Number 10.

"I will not ask for anything. If they (the FA) want to do something, fine. If they do not, it is up to them.

"I haven't spoken to the referee, I don't need to do it, I've seen the images and it's obvious and clear to me.

"We did really well, we were doing what we had to do but it's a big difference when you have 45 minutes numerical inferiority it's not easy.

"We can also talk about the goal that was disallowed or the penalty that was not given. 

“The first goal (from Forest's Nicklas Bendtner) was also maybe offside. We can talk about so many things, but that is not going to change the score at the end.

Cheat

Referee Steve Martin took centre stage in a distinctly unfunny comedy with his pathetic performance for the Sky cameras at The City Ground on Friday night.

During an incredible 19 minutes of first half action, the bungling whistler awarded two penalties to the home side, dismissed two Newcastle players and disallowed a perfectly good Newcastle goal - having ignored our earlier spot kick claim for an obvious obstruction.

Despite the best efforts of Martin though, nine man United left the field with a 1-0 lead after Matt Ritchie slotted home - thanks in no small part to Karl Darlow making penalty stops before and after that goal. 

Sadly though the loss of Jonjo Shelvey and Paul Dummett ultimately allowed Forest to claim what was an undeserved and unconvincing victory - six yard box scrambles on 52 and 86 minutes ending with Darlow beaten - fellow former Forest favourite Jamaal Lascelles getting the final touch for the winner.

The opening 30 minutes gave little hint of the madness that lay in store, as Newcastle dominated possession with some measured and purposeful play and looked significantly slicker than against Blackburn Rovers seven days earlier.

Ciaran Clark was held back right in front of goal by a defender whose clear foul went unpunished before referee Martin took centre stage with his antics. The man-in-the-middle was following play and had his back to a flare-up between Shelvey and home captain Henri Lansbury as both went to ground on the edge of Newcastle's box.

However, the linesman in front of the Main Stand had a view and waved his flag; Shelvey soon on his way to the dressing room after a straight red card - which combined with the possible outcome of his FA hearing could see him out of action until well into 2017.

The Newcastle midfielder was undoubtedly in the wrong, but Lansbury's actions were pivotal in the decision-making process - initiating contact with Shelvey before dramatically rolling around following minimal contact in response - this was no re-run of Shearer versus Lennon....  

Enter Karl Darlow, who guessed right and blocked Nicklas Bendtner's tame spot kick amid great celebrations in the away section at that end.

Referee Martin's next trick was to deny Clark a goal when he headed home a free kick, somehow being penalised for ignoring the blatant shirt-grabbing of Matthew Cash to reach ball and score. Incredible.

Into first half added time and Martin still had one more trick up his sleeve before the intermission, consigning Dummett to an early bath after he collided with Lansbury in the box - the Forest man waiting for a semblance of contact before crumbling.  

It was a clear goal-scoring opportunity but under this season's regulations that does not necessarily mean a straight red card - Martin presumably determining that our left-back made no attempt to play the ball and deliberately halted the already stationary Forest man.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

(Sky Sports later reported a claim that the United defence were distracted by a phantom half-time whistle from the away section. It's audible on the TV replays, which also show home coaches getting up out of their dugout seats at that point. Sadly that wasn't to be the only Toon own goal of the evening). 

A second penalty was awarded by the whistler, who seemed intent on claiming pole position in the ever lengthening list of idiotic officials we've endured in Championship games this season.

Forest changed their taker and Lansbury himself took responsibility - only for Darlow to dive the opposite way this time to deny him and then prove equal to a second shot that came his way. Cue fan delirium.

In between the madness, ten-man United took the lead as Ritchie lashed home a deflected left wing centre from Isaac Hayden for his fifth goal in our colours.

That advantage only lasted for seven second half minutes though, Bendtner poking the ball home to end a goalmouth scramble during which Darlow had made another excellent instinctive stop to no avail.

United's nine men pressed as best they could, earned a few set pieces and saw their eagerness pass up the chance of a few others, but no real chance came.

Forest meanwhile huffed and puffed but all too often relied on unscientific lumped balls into the area - a tactic that betrayed their evident lack of quality.

Just when it seemed as if a famous point was within Newcastle's grasp though, a final sting in the tail came when Apostolos Vellios flicked the ball on in the box.

That evaded Assombalonga but not our captain, who could only help the bouncing ball over the line to give his former side a third successive league victory.

So not a vintage week for Rafa & co: six points dropped, an EFL Trophy exit and two suspensions. 

And for Shelvey it's been a wretched few days, his penalty miss on Tuesday and tonight's avoidable and costly sending off add to his charge of misconduct. As his former boss Brendan Rogers said of him, "you have all the tools, son"  - he just needs to avoid being the biggest spanner in our box. 

There have been positive elements evident in all three of the defeats suffered in the last seven days, both in terms of our approach and some of our play. 

At times however we've shown ill-discipline and a lack of composure that has come back to bite us on the backside. Over-celebration of Diame's goal at Hull by the players is one example, our disgraceful no-show for the subsequent penalty shootout another.

The mentality isn't there yet. A collective mindset that needs to be both methodical and detached - albeit under the most demanding of circumstances when attention-seeking, whistle-wielding clowns appear.  

Despite the chants from our own supporters, nothing has been achieved yet, nothing won. Losing these three games isn't the end of the world, in the same way that winning nine on the spin wasn't a reason to become overly excited and get carried away.

These two sides meet again at St. James' Park in four weeks time - no team talk will be necessary.

PS - a few words about substitute, Mo Diame who ambled around aimlessly and almost avoided the ball - arguably costing us the second Forest goal.