MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Melbourne City beat Melbourne Victory 2-1 on Wednesday, nearly four months after a violent pitch invasion led to the abandonment of the A-League derby after 21 minutes of play on Dec. 17.
The match resumed from the 22nd minute with City retaining the 1-0 lead they held when fans invaded the pitch injuring security staff, a referee and City goalkeeper Tom Glover, who was left bloodied after being struck in the face by a metal bucket.
Victory struck late on through Nishan Velupillay but City held on to move five points ahead of second-placed Adelaide United. "The Australian Professional Leagues should be doing all it can to remove the stain of those events, not actively revisiting them," said prominent TV and radio commentator Gerard Whateley.
It came days after the A-League announced a deal to sell its men's and women's title-deciding Grand Finals to Sydney until 2025, a decision that triggered a major fan backlash. Hosting rights for Grand Finals were previously given to the top-finishing teams.
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