Brazilian first division match abandoned after pitch invasion

SAO PAULO - A Brazilian Serie A match between Ponte Preta and Vitoria was abandoned with eight minutes left on Sunday after angry fans invaded the pitch and left players scrambling for safety.

Angry at the 3-2 scoreline that left Ponte Preta relegated, the home team's fans broke wire fencing before running onto the playing surface to confront Ponte's players.

Several supporters surrounded goalkeeper Aranha, who left the pitch unharmed despite the absence of security personnel to protect him.

Video footage showed police were forced to hit fans with batons to keep them at bay at the Moises Lucarelli stadium in Campinas, around 100km northwest of Sao Paulo.

"It's regrettable what the fans did," Ponte Preta defender Luan Peres said. "We wanted to win and we tried our best. Now we're not going to get the chance to finish the match. This sort of thing can't go on."

A police spokesman said three officers were injured after being struck by objects. There was no immediate information about any arrests.

Ponte Preta scored two early goals but their center-back Rodrigo was sent off midway through the first half, changing the course of the match.

Vitoria took the lead with three goals in the space of 24 minutes before the pitch invasion.

The result guarantees Ponte Preta's demotion to Serie B with one game left in the season.