Sydney FC’s three-year hoodoo has come to an end after the club finally returned to the winners circle in the A League Women competition.
New recruit Madison Haley was undoubtedly the star, finishing player of the match with a two-goal effort in the 4-0 win over Western United.
There was no shortage of records broken from the champions, who last won the grand final in the 2018/19 season.
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Winning the premiers plate for a third year in a row, the Sky Blues’ ability to make it the double was the second time in the club’s history.
Princess Ibini also made her seventh grand final appearance, while captain Nat Tobin was outstanding in her 100th game.
Tobin, who scored a header in the win, struggled to put the victory down to one word after a phenomenal night.
“Oh my god, it’s overwhelming, it’s outstanding, it’s amazing, so incredible – these girls are such a special group,” she told Paramount+ post-game.
“We did it, we finally did it.”
The Sydney skipper added the heartache of three grand final losses in a row made the victory so much sweeter.
“Those last few grand final losses, especially last year when I think we were the better team, they were so heartbreaking … but today it’s just elation,” she said.
Sydney FC was on the board early at Allianz Stadium, with Haley – daughter of five-time Super Bowl winner Charles Haley – scoring her first with a header in the fourth minute.
Tobin then had her goal for the match in the 18th minute, with the Sky Blues in full control.
Controversy struck in the second half when Sydney FC was awarded a penalty with Western United appealing against the decision.
It all came to nothing as Ibini put away the kick and the game with her side now holding one hand on the trophy.
Haley then scored her second goal in injury time, taking her tally to 11 for the season to put her second on the club’s list for goals scored in a season with Kyah Simon ahead of her with 12 in 2010/11.
After scoring a brace, the American star joked she envisaged more.
“I was hoping for a hat-trick, but a brace, I’ll settle for it,” she said to Paramount+.
The A League W grand final also made history for the biggest crowd in an Australian domestic women’s match with 9519.
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