Derby delight for Melbourne City in a match that took more than 15 weeks to complete

Socceroo Aiden O’Neill was the hero as Melbourne City completed what they started in December last year by beating Melbourne Victory on Wednesday night.

Andrew Nabbout (left) and Jamie Maclaren (right) congratulate Melbourne City goalscorer Aiden O'Neill at AAMI Park. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

It was a match that took more than 15 weeks to complete but A-League leaders Melbourne City were finally able to finish what they started by beating Melbourne Victory 2-1.

The derby – which started a AAMI Park on December 17 last year but halted after just 20 minutes due to a pitch invasion from Victory fans that led to a host of spectator bans and a host of other sanctions being slapped on their club – was belatedly put to bed, thankfully without any further crowd violence, on Wednesday night.

The game recommenced in the 21st minute – with a drop ball in City’s penalty area – with the table toppers ahead 1-0 thanks to midfielder Aiden O’Neill’s 11th-minute goal in December.

And it was to again be in-form Socceroos O’Neill who found the back of the net, scoring the game’s second goal in the 57th minute with a powerful strike after regaining the ball for his team by dispossessing Victory midfielder Connor Chapman.

The Victory ensured it would be a nervous final few minutes for cross-town rivals by scoring in the 89th minute through substitute Nishan Velupillay.

Aiden O'Neill (left) celebrates his goal with his Melbourne City teammate Jamie Maclaren. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

However, City held on to win for the 13th time this season and move five points clear at the top of the ladder ahead of second-placed Adelaide United.

City midfielder Valon Berisha said his side was “the better team from the start to the finish”.

“For us it was an important game because we have been dominating for the last five weeks every game but we didn’t get the results we wanted, and tonight it was very important to get the win,” Berisha told Network 10.

“When you play a derby, it’s for who is going to the best team in the City, and that’s us.”

For the Victory, the loss brought an end to a two-game winning run and kept them four points outside the top six.

Victory striker Bruno Fornaroli was proud of his team for fighting until the end.

“We did what we could do but we couldn’t win the game,” Fornaroli said.

Such were the bizarre circumstances of a match that took more than three months to be completed, that of the 11 Victory players that were on the field for the game’s recommencement, seven were different to the team that started the contest last year.

City’s side had two different players, but captain Scott Jamieson was among the substitutes despite being sent off – which brought with it the punishment of a one-game ban – in his side’s 1-1 weekend draw with Newcastle.

Jamieson – who came on as a late replacement – will instead serve that suspension on Easter Monday when City host Wellington Phoenix.

Originally published as Derby delight for Melbourne City in a match that took more than 15 weeks to complete