It has emerged that Southampton striker Sekou Mara could face disciplinary action for an incident in the game against Watford on Saturday, that was not spotted by eithe referee or linesman at the time.

The incident happened in the closing stages of the match, indeed Sekou Mara only came on to the pitch in the 80th minute as a substitute for Che Adams.

What had happened to provoke Mara is unclear, but I saw the incident and the biggest surprise was that it was not spotted by either the referee, or more strangely the linesman on the Itchen touchline who appeared to be looking directly across the Watford back line at the time.

As Mara ran back onside past Ryan Porteous he seemed to aim a punch at the back of Porteous who would not have seen it coming.

How hard the punch actually was, if indeed it was an actual punch is open to debate, but the Watford man went down as if he had been hit by Tyson Fury.

Speaking to The Daily Echo Russell Martin had this comment to make.

"Maybe he gets suspended for three games. We're waiting to find out about his off-the-ball incident with Ryan Porteous.

"I think Sekou might be the only one that misses out and we are likely to find out before we play Preston."

That does not sound good, you would assume that Martin has had the opportunity to review the footage from the game and is therefore not confident that his player will be exonerated.

Certainly if Mara is found guilty, this was an act of petulance and pre meditated, it was not retaliation, the ball was nowhere near him, it was an act of revenge and not a spur of the moment impulse given he came from behind.

How hard the blow was is debatable, in truth it wasn't that hard, but the force is not the issue, the fact that he did so is the point.

If he is banned for three games he will miss the game against Preston and the trips to Cardiff & Leicester.

One good thing is that it disproves the claim from some sections of the Southampton support that Mara can't hit a cows arse with a banjo !

One door may close for Mara for the next 3 games, but another one will open and youngster Tyler Dibling will hope that he will be the man to step into the breach.

Photo: Action Images

PatfromPoole added 09:09 - Apr 16 When I first heard this tale, I thought "what an idiot, he could have risked costing us the Watford game by reducing us to 10 men". But then I slapped myself in the face with a wet fish and started thinking rationally,
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InTimeAddedOn added 11:54 - Apr 16 I’d take Dibling coming on for the last 10/15 mins over Mara TBH. Or Sam Amo-Ameyaw for that matter
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saintjeff52 added 12:40 - Apr 16 No Loss. A wasted Substitution in my view. One Game he came on recently. He ran around for 10 minutes or so, contributing absolutely nothing. We must utilise our experienced
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derbydog added 12:55 - Apr 16 Somewhere in the back of my mind is that these things can’t be reopened if the referee and linesmen didn’t see it. What evidence is there if they don’t provide it? A television wideshot?? If these incidents can be reopened after the event shouldn’t we be more worried about the winning goal?!
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