The Wellington Phoenix defender Manny Muscat has been banned for two A-League football games for striking Central Coast forward Roy O'Donovan with his forearm last week.
The competition's match review panel found Muscat was guilty of assaulting O'Donovan off the ball, moments before O'Donovan retaliated with a headbutt in the Mariners' 3-1 win in Gosford.
O'Donovan has been referred to the disciplinary committee which will meet on Wednesday after he was only given a only yellow card by the match referee.
The Mariners' Roy O'Donovan headbutts the Phoenix's Manny Muscat Photo: Fox Sports
O'Donovan apologised for the headbutt, "embarrassed" it had taken the gloss off the side's first win in 11 weeks.
But he insisted he was not the only one at fault, saying Muscat had provoked him and should "get an Oscar" for subsequently going down "like a movie star".
Muscat will miss the Phoenix matches against Brisbane and Newcastle.
