Western Sydney Wanderers' Jonathan Aspropotamitis doesn't believe Jai Ingham meant anything sinister when he stomped on his leg, saying the Melbourne Victory winger apologised to him after their A-League collision.
Wanderers fans cried for a red card after the pair were caught in a tangle late in the second half of Saturday night's 3-0 Victory triumph at ANZ Stadium.
Aspropotamitis, who slid in for a last-ditch challenge, was still prone when Ingham looked to have given him a roughing-up.
His knee appeared to have made contact with the young stopper's head but replays suggested Ingham had been attempting to wriggle free with Aspropotamitis' arms around him.
Referee Chris Beath dished out a yellow card to Ingham, who Aspropotamitis said actually got him on the leg.
"I was hurt. I got stomped on the lower part of my leg, on my calf," he said.
"I thought he had done something to me, but in the end he apologised to me and we moved on from it so it was all good.
"I'll have to see it again but in the heat of the battle I didn't think he meant anything by it."
Coach Tony Popovic was reluctant to comment on the incident after being fined for criticising a referee in November.
"I don't want to talk about the officials. I've had enough of doing that," Popovic said.
"I don't want to say what I thought. It's better I don't say what I thought about incidents.
"We all have opinions. I have an opinion [but] I'm not sure we can do anything about it."
