Ban sent Muscat home for birth

FOOTBALL

Just in case Manny Muscat didn’t already know how it looked, his Wellington Phoenix team-mates were quick to remind him.

Having already pushed his luck twice, in leaving heavily pregnant wife Rebecca to face the prospect of imminent childbirth on her own, a yellow card ensured there’d be no third time.

Sitting on four yellows for the A-league season, heading into Phoenix’s February 3 match against Adelaide United, Muscat earned himself a fifth and, with it, an automatic one-game ban. That left him free to fly back to Melbourne, where baby girl Nevaeh was born four days later.

‘‘Some of the boys might have thought it [the foul that earned him the card] was staged but, if you have a look, it was kind of a bad call from the ref [Gerard Parsons].

‘‘But you’ve just got to cop it and move on,’’ Muscat said ahead of tomorrow night’s clash with the Central Coast Mariners.

The ban was probably the ideal outcome. Having initially been ruled out of the wins over Melbourne Heart and Adelaide, on the grounds that his wife could give birth at any minute, Muscat eventually ended up playing both matches.

‘‘They were pretty much last-minute decisions. The morning of every game I had an appointment with the doctor and he gave me that little bit of encouragement to fly that day and play the game,’’ he said.

As did Rebecca. ‘‘She’s always by my side and she supported me and gave me the motivation to go.’’

The happy family spent time together before Muscat was required back at work to watch Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Brisbane Roar, from the stands. Yesterday, the Phoenix team left for Gosford, where they’ll stay on for a further week, before their February 25 clash with Sydney FC.