Roy O'Donovan hit with eight-week ban for headbutting opponent

Roy O'Donovan

Former Cork City winger Roy O'Donovan has been hit with an eight-week ban after headbutting an opponent in the Australian A-League last week.

The 30-year-old, who was signed for Sunderland by Roy Keane, has scored four time for the Central Coast Mariners since joining them last May.

O'Donovan was involved in an altercation with Manny Muscat of Wellington Phoenix. Muscat appeared to hit the Cork native with an elbow after the pair clashed and as they came together again, the Irish winger planted a headbutt on his opponent.

O'Donovan subsequently told Fox Sports: "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.

"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."

Amazingly both players only received yellow cards.

Watch the incident below: