The Football Association has overturned the red card shown to Newcastle United defender Fabricio Coloccini during Sunday's Wear-Tyne derby against Sunderland.
Newcastle were on top at the Stadium of Light when the match swung in Sunderland's favour just before half time, as Robert Madley awarded the hosts a penalty and sent off Coloccini for a shove on Steven Fletcher.
Adam Johnson scored the resulting spot kick and the Black Cats went on to win 3-0 to leapfrog Newcastle and move off the bottom of the Premier League.
Although Coloccini appeared to use excessive force, Newcastle keeper Rob Elliot was on hand to sweep up and it seemed that Fletcher would not have reached the ball, meaning that Coloccini had not denied a clear goalscoring opportunity and should not have been dismissed.
In a statement this afternoon, the FA confirmed that an independent regulatory commission had found that Madley "had made an obvious error" by sending the Newcastle captain off.
Coloccini will therefore not have to serve a one-match suspension, but Newcastle have been hit with a separate FA charge for failing to control their players as they protested the red card.
The Magpies have until 6pm Friday to respond to the charge.
Pascal Lemesre
