Referee Neil Swarbrick has admitted he blundered by sending off the wrong man for a foul on Manchester City’s Wilfried Bony just 63 seconds into the game at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
And FA sources have indicated that McAuley will be cleared and Dawson will now receive the one-game suspension for a foul that Swarbrick judged to have denied Bony a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
The controversy was the latest case of mistaken identity by referee and prompted Albion boss Tony Pulis to renew his calls for TV replays to be introduced to help match officials.
He said: “What we have to do is find a way to help referees out. A TV call back should be brought in where for 30 seconds the game could be held up while they decide if the original decision was correct or not.
“Two calls allowed during the game from both sides would be sufficient and I believe would help improve the great package that the Premier League provides for everybody all over the world.
“It will eradicate the major decisions referees are getting wrong that actually affect games of football.”
A statement from Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, the organisation responsible for refereeing appointments, read: “The referee has confirmed the offence was caused by a different player, which should be addressed now as a case of mistaken identity. The referee has apologised for his error.”
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