Garry Monk ‘fuming’ at Bristol Rovers star for ‘cowardly’ headbutt that ruled Cambridge defender out for the season
Cambridge boss Garry Monk hit out at Bristol Rovers striker Chris Martin for a sickening headbutt that concussed a young defender.
Martin, 35, struck U's centre-back Mamadou Jobe, 14 years his junior, in an incident missed by officials before scoring Rovers' late winner in a 1-0 triumph on Tuesday.
The former Scotland international had missed a penalty in the first half of the League One clash before lashing out eight minutes later.
With the pair tussling in the box awaiting a potential cross from the right during a Rovers attack, Martin headbutted the 21-year-old.
The incident was not seen by the referee Daniel Middleton as Cambridge defender Jobe staggered back from the blow and play continued.
To add insult to injury Martin then tucked home the winner in the 87th minute in a result that has kept Monk's men in fear of the drop.
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Martin was handed a retroactive four-match suspension for violent conduct after the moment was captured by television cameras.
However, Cambridge will also be without Jobe for the rest of their season, due to a concussion, as they battle to avoid relegation.
U's boss Monk was understandably enraged by the ordeal having seen his side then fall to a 1-0 loss to Derby on Saturday in Jobe's absence.
Speaking after the defeat, Monk said: "I'm hugely disappointed with that, it's like a triple whammy. There's a young defender there, and Chris Martin decides off the ball to headbutt him straight in the face.
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"The referee's missed it, we saw it straight away and we tried to highlight that, but I can understand if you're an official and you've missed it.
"Then someone that shouldn't even be on the pitch scores the winning goal, and then we lose a player for the rest of the season because he's on concussion protocol.
"He's been sick all that night, groggy, headaches, for a really cowardly act, so I'm a bit fuming with him if I'm honest with you [...]."
On Martin's ban, which will carry over until next season, Monk added: "I'm glad that the FA's taken action."
In a statement, the FA said: "Chris Martin will be suspended for four matches following the EFL League One game between Bristol Rovers and Cambridge United on Tuesday, 16 April. The forward's behaviour during the 41st minute wasn't seen by the match officials at the time, but it was caught on camera and he subsequently admitted that it constitutes violent conduct.
"Chris Martin also accepted the standard three-match penalty, but he will be suspended for four matches after being sent off earlier this season."
Martin's first red of the campaign came via two yellow cards shown in the 2-0 defeat at home to Fleetwood Town in February.
Rovers, who fell to a 2-0 home defeat to Peterborough without Martin on Saturday, remain 15th with just one match remaining.
Cambridge meanwhile are four spots below following two defeats in a week and are just five points ahead of Cheltenham in the final relegation place.