Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover has dodged suspension for his involvement in the A-League Men pitch invasion incident.
25-year-old Glover threw two flares behind his goal during the match, one of which cleared the fence and landed in a group of Melbourne Victory fans.
A number of supporters then consequently stormed the field in a violent pitch invasion.
Glover's throwing of the flares occurred before the game was officially abandoned.
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The matter was assessed by an independent match review panel, which found that referee Alex King was able to see the incident clearly.
King’s match report played a key role in Glover avoiding a ban.
“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," part of King's report read, per NCA Newswire.
King's unobscured view of the incident meant that Glover was not found to be guilty of violent conduct by the review panel.
"Since the independent MRP was satisfied that the incident had not escaped the referee's attention, the MRP did not proceed to consider whether Glover should have been sanctioned with a direct red card," a Football Australia spokesperson said.
"Accordingly, the MRP has not cited the incident pursuant to the regulations."
Glover has been deemed fit enough to face the Central Coast Mariners on Tuesday night despite receiving a cut on the face and suffering a concussion after being hit in the head by a bucket.
The decision comes following Melbourne City's call to close their active supporter area at AAMI Park for Tuesday night's match.
As a result, all current casual tickets to the 'City Terrace' will be refunded, whilst casual ticket sales will be suspended.
"Whilst only committed by a small minority within our active supporter group, the use of flares poses a significant risk to the safety of our players, staff, and to the general public," the statement read.
"Authorities have successfully identified and banned one Melbourne City active member responsible for the use of flares, however as authorities are in the process of identifying the remaining culprits, we have no other choice than to impose these restrictions on active support.
"Melbourne City is a family club, and we pride ourselves on creating a fun, safe and inclusive environment.
"We take a zero-tolerance approach to the use of flares at our matches which is why we have decided to take this action."
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Last week, Football Australia also handed down a set of sanctions that will be in place until Sunday, January 15, 2023.
Melbourne Victory fans will not be able to attend any away matches in Victoria or interstate during the period, while only valid club members will be able to attend home matches, with all other supporters locked out of these games.
A final determination on the investigation into the incident will likely not conclude for a further couple of weeks.
