By Phil McNulty BBC Sport Online chief football writer

Referee Uriah Rennie has been praised for restraining Manchester United's Roy Keane at Sunderland - but also warned he set "a dangerous precedent."

However, Rennie will not face a disciplinary hearing for his actions in the stormy 1-1 draw at Sunderland - which ended with Keane being sent off after a running battle with Jason McAteer.

He stepped in to separate the pair after they clashed in an incident shortly before Keane was sent off for elbowing the Sunderland player.

The Professional Match Officials Games Board has rejected reports that Rennie would be reprimanded.

The organisation's head Philip Don said: "Although the PGMOB does not encourage referees to become physically involved with players, it is necessary for a degree of common sense to be exercised in each individual instance.

"Uriah Rennie's intervention on this occasion served to prevent an escalation of the situation and was part of a very commendable refereeing performance.

However, former referee Keith Cooper, spokesman for the Premier League and Football League match officials, insisted Rennie should not have touched Keane.

He told BBC Sport Online: "While he may have done a very good thing in that particular match, we are taught at all levels of football, from schoolboy football right the way through to the Premiership, that you do not manhandle players.

"It is not something we advocate. What would have happened if Roy Keane had reacted to that and said that Uriah manhandled him first?

"While it worked extremely well in that particular incident, we do not encourage it and he should not have done it. It is a dangerous precedent to set."