The Blues were 2-0 down to the Potters at the interval on Tuesday night, but rallied back in the second half to lead the game 3-2 thanks to an own-goal from Eric Bocat, followed by strikes from Jack Taylor and George Hirst.

It would have been a first comeback victory in almost two years, but referee Thomas Kirk awarded a stoppage-time penalty as Lamine Cisse went down in the box under pressure from Cedric Kipre and Jens Cajuste.

Stoke were given a late penalty for this challenge on Tuesday night. (Image: PA)

Kipre was booked – his 10th of the season, which will see him suspended against Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall – while Milan Smit was offered the chance to score from the spot to equalise, which he did in the 96th minute.

McKenna has since revealed that the decision was incorrect, and that PGMOL have apologised once again.

“It’s not the way you want a game to finish,” he explained.

“To be fair, it’s the first one we’ve had this year. It’s the first time we’ve conceded a late goal – a late goal that cost us points, but that still means it’s very, very difficult to take, especially the way the game panned out, the way the second half panned out, how close we were to getting a brilliant victory.

“The fact that we could have done some things better in the lead-up to the goal for sure, but also the fact that it’s an incorrect decision that’s been confirmed this week again, that it shouldn’t be given as a penalty.

Cedric Kipre was booked against at the Bet365 Stadium, resulting in a two-match ban (Image: Ross Halls)

“It’s not a penalty and it’s a really, really costly one for us, so you put all those things into the mix and of course there was a lot of frustration on the way home.

“But we’ve used the time since to recover the energy and recover the sleep and get ready to go again. The boys have trained well today and everyone’s now looking forward to Saturday.”

This is the second time Town in four days that have been on the wrong end of an incorrect decision. They should have been awarded two penalties against Leicester City last for fouls on Anis Mehmeti and Cedric Kipre, according to PGMOL. The latter was blatant.

Asked if something needs to change with the standard of officiating at Championship level, especially without VAR, McKenna responded: “It’s a really tough one. It’s probably a tough time to ask it because of what we’ve had at the back end of the last two games.

“I think most of us involved in the club this year have enjoyed not having VAR this season, to be honest, in terms of the flow of the game. I think the supporters understand it, but we know what we’re playing for at the moment. When you have two decisions at that stage of two games in four days and it costs four points, you can certainly make the counter-argument.

“I think the decision on last Saturday against Leicester for me is a different category. There’s no excuse for that not to be given, for us not to get penalties at the end of that game to win the game, but certainly in the last moment.

Thomas Kirk was the referee in the dramatic draw against the Potters (Image: Ross Halls)

“The decision on Tuesday night is an incorrect decision, but I think Tom is one of the better young referees coming through and I can understand what he thinks he saw because there’s a touch on the shoulder, but there’s not anything that could even constitute a pull.

“He’s made an incorrect decision, which can happen. If we’re going to leave the humans in charge of it, then there’s going to be mistakes sometimes and that was one the other night.

“I think two of them coming in quick succession involving the same player, involving the same club, is a pretty bad look for the league. But I know, of course, everyone wants to keep raising the level of everything in the league, of the teams, of the players, the managers, the referees, the facilities, everything.

“I think that’s the only way for any of us to keep moving, is just to keep trying to improve. I think certainly those instances should have been handled differently and better, especially on Saturday, but it is what it is now.

“We have to move on and we have moved on and we’re now getting focused for the next game. We’d like to be sitting on extra points and with a different feeling from the last games, but you have to deal with the card that you’ve been dealt.

“All we can control is our next movements now, our next action, our next performance and that’s what we’re going to try and do.”