Football
ESPN staff 9y

Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor has Man United red card rescinded

Aston Villa have successfully won their appeal against Gabriel Agbonlahor's red card in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

Manager Paul Lambert said after the match that the club were likely to contest the decision, and the Villans launched an official appeal on Monday.

The Football Association announced on Tuesday that the striker's appeal was successful, meaning he is free to play in their Premier League Boxing Day trip to Swansea.

However, the FA also announced: "Aston Villa have been charged with failing to ensure that its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion in or around the 65th minute in the same fixture.

"The club has until 6 p.m. on Dec. 30 2014 to respond to the charge."

Agbonlahor was sent off after a 50-50 challenge with Ashley Young during the second half of Saturday's game.

Referee Lee Mason dismissed the forward, who became the second Villa player to see red in consecutive games after Kieran Richardson's sending off in their 1-0 defeat at West Brom last week.

Lambert questioned the decision after the game and said Young admitted he thought he had fouled Agbonlahor.

"There was nothing, you may as well pack up if you're going to take tackling out of the game. The two have gone in without any malice or studs showing, that's not a red card," he said.

"The two have gone in fairly but the lad [Young] himself admitted he thought he fouled Gabby. From where I was standing it's not a red card."

Information from the Press Association was used in this report.

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