ABERDEEN defender Charlie Mulgrew is likely to have his red card rescinded by the SFA, after the referee who brandished it informed the SFA it was a mistake.
The left-back was on the receiving end of an outrageous piece of play-acting by Rangers cheat Kyle Lafferty, who feigned a head-butt injury to get the Dons player sent off.
The shamed Rangers forward has since apologised for the shocking dive, has been fined by his club and has said that Mulgrew should not have been dismissed.
Now-retired whistler Stuart Dougal viewed footage of the match, and agreed that Mulgrew did not warrant a red card.
The SFA review panel will meet later this week to decide what will now happen to the Aberdeen dead-ball specialist.
But Mulgrew is likely to avoid an automatic one-game suspension for Sunday's game, which Aberdeen must win and hope that Dundee Utd lose to Rangers if they are to qualify for Europe next season.
Referee Stuart Dougal has avoided any action for making the dreadful decision, as he has decided to retire a week early as a top-grade official.
Before finally hanging up his cards, he gave evidence to the SFA's video review panel indicating that he had changed his opinion about the decision to expel Mulgrew.
The SFA has yet to make a decision about any punishment due to be meted out to Lafferty, but Dons legend and Director of Football Willie Miller agrees with Aberdeen-Mad that it should be a hefty penalty.
Miller told the Daily Record: "The SFA must come down hard on Lafferty's shameful diving and play-acting at Ibrox.
"There is no room in Scottish football for that behaviour, a deliberate ploy to get Mulgrew sent off. Unfortunately it worked and we paid a heavy penalty for it.
"When Gordon Smith became the SFA's chief executive he said he was desperate to clamp down on players feigning injury.
"This is the perfect opportunity for Smith to stand by his convictions by hammering Lafferty.
"Mulgrew made no move to Lafferty so for the Rangers striker to throw himself down as if he had been head-butted was a disgrace.
"To then wink at one of his team-mates proved it was a deliberate con."
