City claim historic third W-League title

Jess Fishlock was the difference between the teams on Sunday, netting a first-half screamer and then firing a dazzling second-half free kick to set up Jodie Taylor in front of a record crowd of 6025 at Allianz Stadium.

It's the second-straight season City have come from a fourth-placed finish to clinch the main prize following their whitewash in the club's debut 2015-16 campaign.

But in worrying signs for the Matildas' imminent Algarve Cup campaign, Kyah Simon left the pitch after an hour with a hamstring complaint.

For the Sky Blues it was another case of so close they almost could touch it, having lost three semi-finals and a grand final following their 2013 title.

Ante Juric's side had the momentum of a 10-match undefeated run but City had the big-stage performers, fielding five players from their past two successful deciders.

And there was no brighter star than Fishlock.

The Welsh international started and finished City's first goal 10 minutes before halftime, robbing Georgia Yeoman-Dale of possession 25m out and lobbing a beauty over the head of a highly advanced - and equally bewildered - Aubrey Bledsloe.

The goalkeeper had inadvertently run into Taylor while distributing a free kick at the top of the box and found herself in no-man's land at the wrong moment.

Skipper Teresa Polias ran the Sky Blues' hunt for an equaliser and Princess Ibini forced Lydia Williams to tip her stinging angled shot over the bar.

The ever-reliable Matildas custodian returned to the fore to deny Yeoman-Dale from distance and then again to punch away a powerful Polias free kick.

She was soon sprawled on the turf requiring medical treatment following a collision with Khamis and then De Vanna, who threw herself about in customary fashion but will rue her uncharacteristic ninth-minute miss.

And while Australia's first-choice 'keeper played on, it was more than could be said of Simon, who received her own attention and was then promptly subbed off.

Fresh legs were introduced and Rhali Dobson's proved the most decisive.

The attacker latched on to a Fishlock ball and skewed just over the bar and minutes later forced Emily Sonnett into a foul on the edge of Sydney's box.

Fishlock fired the subsequent free kick with force and Bledsloe pulled off a superb save but Taylor was on hand to poke home the rebound.

Australian Associated Press