The grander the stage, the greater the response from Victory star Archie Thompson MELBOURNE Victory never looks better than when Archie Thompson is strutting his brilliant stuff on the field, banging in match-winning goals. That was the best part of its pulsating win over Heart in derby No.9 last night. It never looks worse off the field than when its more feral fans get ugly, which thankfully doesn't happen often. It did this time when they hoisted a huge banner just before kick-off which read: "FYI this town is blue and white, back to Morwell you repulsive shite." The insulting jibe - it harks back to Heart's earliest days three years ago when the club used the Gippsland town as a training venue - was taken down after only a couple of minutes. But that was enough for what was presumably just a few fools to introduce an unnecessarily tasteless note to an occasion that otherwise lived right up to the status it now enjoys - it is unquestionably one of the highlights of the Melbourne sporting calendar. Victory striker Archie Thompson celebrates his goal against Melbourne Heart at Etihad Stadium. Picture: Robert Cianflone Victory won 2-1 in front of 41,203 fans - just shy of the derby record of 42,032 in round one - to make it three-all with three draws. It was high-quality football, too, with plentiful goal-scoring opportunities, enough physicality to attract four yellow cards, a spirited comeback after Heart fell two goals behind and a result that remained in the balance until the end. No-one contributed more to the spectacle than Thompson, now a born-again Socceroo regular, who not only provided a vintage display of his talent but who worked tirelessly from start to finish. His presence was such a worry for Heart that two players were given yellow cards for cutting him down. Thompson loves a bit of theatre and these showpiece fixtures are becoming a specialty. He scored the winner in stoppage time in the last one and opened the scoring this time. It was his third goal in derby matches, which takes him to the top of the list with Heart coach John Aloisi and Victory's Robbie Kruse, both of whom are no longer playing. Victory striker Archie Thompson celebrates his goal with Marco Rojas. Thompson's match-changer came in the 28th minute when Marcos Flores found him in space outside the penalty area with only keeper Andrew Redmayne to beat. He did so comfortably, with Redmayne looking slightly wrong-footed as if he was all too aware of how Thompson cleverly chipped Clint Bolton for the match-winner last time. Perhaps rattled, he stumbled in the middle of another attack a minute or two later. With emerging 21-year-old Marco Rojas giving an electrifying performance, Victory now has the most entertaining double act in the A-League. Rojas has generated all the hype but coach Ange Postecoglou has quietly kept reminding everyone that Thompson is still Thompson and contributing heavily. Rojas did not add to his 11 goals but was dangerous again until he cramped and left the field not long before full-time. Melbourne Victory striker Archie Thompson is chased by Heart's Jonathan Germano. Thompson now has six for the summer and remains what he has been since day dot for Victory - its most exciting player and a key to the now extremely promising premiership campaign.