Perch ban reduced on appeal

Newcastle defender James Perch has had his three-match ban reduced to one after a successful appeal.

The full-back was sent off during a reserve-team fixture against Manchester United on Monday, but the Magpies questioned the severity of the initial punishment.

A Football Association regulatory commission agreed and reduced Perch's ban to one game from April 4, which will mean he is unavailable for the Barclays Premier League trip to Aston Villa six days later.

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