Tom Glover sports a bandaid as Melbourne City goalkeeper returns to action for the first time since he was struck by a metal bucket during ugly AAMI Park carnage
- Tom Glover was back between the sticks for Melbourne City on Tuesday
- The 24-year-old was struck by a metal bucket during ugly scenes last weekend
- Glover was seen wearing a dressing on his face to protect a laceration
- A strike from Jamie Maclaren was enough to secure all three points
Tom Glover has stepped out onto the field for the first time since he was attacked at the Melbourne derby, with the City goalkeeper back between the sticks for his side’s win over Wellington.
Glover, 24, required stitches after he was struck by a metal bucket when 150 Melbourne Victory fans invaded the pitch at AAMI Park last weekend in ugly scenes that shamed Australian football.
City confirmed that Glover suffered concussion due to the attack and were monitoring his welfare, and there were fears he might have been forced to miss the match after footage showed the stopper throw a flare back into the crowd moments before the pitch was invaded.
Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover returned to action in the A-League on Tuesday
The 24-year-old sported a plaster on his face to protect a laceration inflicted on him
However, Glover was cleared by an independent review panel, after referee Alex King said he did not deliberately aim it at the crowd.
‘Tom Glover the goalkeeper had thrown the two flares back. One went over hoarding behind the goal and unfortunately one went back into the crowd. In no way do I believe this was done purposely by Tom Glover,’ he wrote in his report.
As a result, City’s caretaker manager Rado Vidošić saw fit to play the 24-year-old for his side’s game against the Phoenix.
Jamie Maclaren’s 10th goal of the season has proved enough to lead City to a 1-0 win over Central Coast and maintain top spot on the A-League Men table.
Maclaren’s 39th-minute strike proved the difference, while Mariners skipper Danny Vukovic denied the Socceroo from the spot just before half-time.
The win put City four points clear of second-placed Western Sydney and extended fourth-placed Central Coast’s winless run in Victoria to 27 games (22 losses and five draws).
Glover was struck by a metal bucket when 150 Victory fans invaded the pitch last week
He was cleared to play on Tuesday after an investigation from Football Australia
Emerging left-back Jordan Bos, who has kept skipper Scott Jamieson out of City’s starting line-up, was involved in the goal and again impressed with several dashing runs.
The Mariners turned to Garang Kuol in the 63rd minute but the Socceroos wunderkind was unable to deliver any magic, while fellow World Cup attendee Jason Cummings was kept quiet.
Ten days after he was concussed by a metal bucket in the Melbourne derby pitch invasion, City goalkeeper Tom Glover returned to play with a dressing on the left side of his face and kept a clean sheet.
The game ebbed and flowed given the extreme heat in Melbourne, with two drinks breaks per half.
A Jamie Maclaren strike was enough to secure all three points for the league leaders
Bos delivered one of the highlights of the match in the 20th minute when he pinched the ball off Cummings and went on a wonderful weaving run through the centre of AAMI Park.
The teenager neatly offloaded to Marco Tilio who skimmed a shot just over the bar.
City broke the stalemate when Bos released Richard van der Venne down the left wing.
The Dutchman nicked the ball around Dan Hall then whipped a wonderful left-footed cross across goal for Maclaren to smash home at the back post.
City earned a penalty in the first minute of injury time after Hall clumsily went into van der Venne’s back, but Vukovic made a strong one-handed save to deny Maclaren.
Central Coast entered the second half with renewed intensity and Jacob Farrell just knocked a close-range shot over the bar in the 47th minute.
But the visitors were unable to conjure an equaliser from there.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
