THE MasterFoods barbecue sauce bottle mascot has been shown a yellow card after its antics towards Newcastle Jets fans at the Central Coast Mariners’ F3 Derby season opener.

Emotions were running high as the cheeky sauce bottle responded to chants by flipping the bird at supporters in the away bays at Central Coast Stadium, ahead of the Mariners’ 5-1 derby loss.

MasterFoods said the bottle has been warned, but will return for Central Coast’s next home game on October 29 against Melbourne Victory.

media_camera The MasterFoods sauce bottle mascot behaving badly at the Central Coast Mariners match against the Newcastle Jets.

“The MasterFoods barbecue sauce bottle mascot has been given a yellow card after its response to Newcastle Jets fans,” MasterFoods said in a written statement to the Express Advocate.

“While the sauce bottle mascots are synonymous with A-League games hosted on the Central Coast, the behaviour of the barbecue sauce bottle is not reflective of the family friendly MasterFoods way.

“You’ll see the sauce bottle mascots in finer form at the next home game ... Following his yellow card, barbecue knows that another one might mean some time on the bench and a promotion for mustard to the starting line-up with tomato.”

media_camera MasterFoods tomato sauce and barbecue sauce mascots with Central Coast Mariners mascots at Central Coast Stadium (Supplied: Mars Food Australia)

MasterFoods has committed their support to the Mariners since the inaugural A-League season, with the brand’s inflatable sauce bottles a home ground mainstay.

This is not the first time a MasterFoods mascot has made headlines. Former Mariners defender Brent Griffiths was sent off in John Hutchinson’s testimonial match in 2015, after his late challenge on the barbecue sauce bottle.