Wellington Phoenix captain Andrew Durante has labelled Besart Berisha a liar after the Melbourne Victory striker successfully appealed his two-game ban, freeing him to play in Friday night’s elimination final against Brisbane Roar.

Kosta Barbarouses, who like Berisha will be playing against his former club at Suncorp Stadium, said the Albanian hated to watch from the sidelines. “It’s a massive boost,” he said after Berisha had his two-game ban reduced on appeal on Tuesday night.

Berisha was red-carded and later handed a two-game suspension by the match review panel for kicking out at Durante while getting treatment during Victory’s 4-1 win on April 2.



The FFA’s independent disciplinary committee reduced that ban to one match after a two-and-a-half-hour hearing, ruling that Berisha had been sanctioned sufficiently after serving a one-match ban in Saturday’s scoreless draw with the Roar.



The committee viewed photos and footage showing Durante’s hand reaching out to Berisha while he was on the ground receiving medical treatment after being knocked on the head during an aerial contest. Berisha told the committee that as he lay on the ground in a “dizzy” and sore state receiving a concussion test by the club doctor, Durante approached him and moved his boot onto his hip and his hand to his throat.

“He moved close to my hip with his boot and he said `You have nothing wrong, stand up’, and he kept pushing at my hip,” Berisha said. “He was pushing down on my throat and I couldn’t even talk to the doctor.”

While unable to confirm any contact with Berisha’s throat, the committee agreed it was Durante’s intention to bait Berisha into reacting, which they said was out of order. But the 30-year-old Albanian’s claims sparked an angry response from Durante. “What a bunch of disgraceful lies. Grabbed him by the throat?? Can I please get sent that footage? I won’t have my name tarnished by lies,” Durante tweeted.

Meanwhile, Melbourne City are appealing the second week of winger Harry Novillo’s ban in the hope he can take part in their own A-League finals campaign. City have accepted the mandatory one week, with the French import to miss their elimination final on Sunday against Perth, but the they will challenge the second week hoping to see him take part in their finals campaign should they advance.

Novillo was rubbed out by the A-League’s match review panel for kicking out in the direction of Adelaide United players last Friday night during their final-round clash with the Reds.