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The FA are to review the comments Joe Kinnear made after Newcastle's 2-1 defeat against Fulham on Sunday.

Kinnear branded official Martin Atkinson a "Mickey Mouse referee" for failing to spot a foul by Fulham's Andy Johnson on Claudio Cacapa in the build-up to the decisive penalty at Craven Cottage.

The interim Newcastle manager may be asked to explain his outburst, with a decision on whether the FA intend to pursue the matter likely on Tuesday.

Kinnear accused Atkinson of costing his side at least a point, as part of a wider rant about the declining standards of refereeing.

"There was a blatant foul prior to the penalty, which the referee ignored," he said.

"We were camped in their half. Cacapa was on the ball - and Johnson completely pushes him out the way, nicks the ball and gets the penalty.

"We've got the Mickey Mouse referee doing nothing. He's made an error that cost us. That's the standard of refereeing in this country.

"It happens week in, week out. There's always a smart answer like 'someone was obstructing my view'.

"You used to be able to have a bit of banter with referees, and they'd put their hands up if they make mistakes. Now they hide."

It is not Kinnear's first spat with an official - he was given a two-match touchline ban in 2004 for calling referee Clive Penton 'Coco the Clown' while at Nottingham Forest.

The suspension meant he was unable to sit in the dug-out for Newcastle until mid-October, and there could be a similar conclusion to this latest incident.

Kinnear was incensed by the defeat, after claiming his side could have won given their dominance until Danny Murphy snatched all three points from the spot.

Shola Ameobi equalised in the second half, but Fulham restored their lead against the run of play to plunge Newcastle back into the relegation zone.

TeamTalk / Eurosport