Central Coast striker Roy O’Donovan has apologised to Mariners fans for his despicable headbutt on Wellington’s Manny Muscat, but said the defender deserved “an Oscar” for going down.

Football Federation Australia have confirmed that both players will be cited by the match review panel and are likely to face suspensions. The Mariners import said he was “embarrassed” that it had taken the gloss off the side’s first win in 11 weeks, but suggested he wasn’t the only one at fault.

“I’ve got elbowed in the face not once, not twice, and the referee hasn’t seen fit to react to that and book Manny Muscat,” O’Donovan told Fox Sports. “I walked away and had a player run into my direction, I leaned my head in and I’ve reacted to it. He’s gone down like a movie star there. He should get an Oscar for that. He timed it perfectly.”

The former Irish international admitted he could have easily been given his marching orders by referee Kris Griffiths-Jones, who showed both players a yellow card. O’Donovan felt Griffiths-Jones had dealt with it “sensibly”. “He felt there wasn’t enough force behind what I did,” he said. “I got yellow-carded and nobody got hurt. Manny played out the rest of the team, he didn’t have a scratch or a bruise. We shook hands after the game and I’m the only one that has any wounds from the whole event.”

The 30-year-old, who has scored three goals this season, was apologetic to supporters and said he regretted his part in the ugly incident. “We’ve got a lot of young fans in the A-League and the Central Coast Mariners and it’s not what their parents want them to see and not the Roy O’Donovan I want people to see either,” he said. The 3-1 victory was the Mariners’ first since their 3-2 win over Perth in round one.



