Not even 20 minutes were on the clock in Sunday’s title decider, but the contest already hinted at a Sydney FC procession. Twice within the opening stages, Mackenzie Hawkesby delivered pinpoint corners onto the head of Madison Haley, and twice the American striker made telling contributions; first to send a bullet header into the back of the Western United net and then to keep the ball alive for Natalie Tobin to nod home in her 100th game.
After being forced to wait 179 minutes for their first goal of the finals series, the 2023 A-League Women premiers were cruising, and thoughts of an anxious wait for another breakthrough washed off them in waves. Any hopes United had of dragging their opponents into a war of attrition and eking out a win with sheer grit and bloody-mindedness were gone. The game was now to be played on Sky Blue terms.
