Western United v Sydney FC: A-League Women 2023 grand final – live

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That was a comprehensive 90-minute demolition job from Sydney FC.

Full-time: Western United 0-4 Sydney FC

The premiers are now the champions!

90+3 mins: This must be excruciating for Western united now. Blow the whistle ref!

GOAL! Western United 0-4 Sydney FC

Into added time and Haley bags her second of the night with a scruffy finish in a goalmouth scramble after Beall saved the first effort but could do nothing with the rebound. Ibini created the first opportunity cutting in and crossing from the left. That’s the cherry on the icing on the cake for Sydney FC.

89 mins: That’s the final action of the night for Cortnee Vine, who, along with Mackenzie Hawkesby, is replaced. On comes Indiana Dos Santos, at 15, the youngest ever A-League grand finalist.

88 mins: Beall saves again, this time from Ibini, then there’s another scare as Vine tears down the right but WUFC smuggle the ball clear.

87 mins: The excellent Hawkesby has had plenty of opportunities to add a goal to her couple of assists but she can’t execute the lob when through in behind the WUFC defence with Beall way off her line.

85 mins: Rule one-twos her way to the edge of the box but her shot is charged down. Sydney FC are relentless.

84 mins: This is good.

82 mins: It’s all petering out very limply for Western United, miles from home, surrounded by Sydney FC supporters.

80 mins: Jaber replaces the cramp-stricken Johnson for WUFC.

79 mins: More Sky Blue pressure around the Western United box. They’re not giving their opponents a sniff. WUFC will do well to keep the scoreline as it is in the final ten minutes.

Lowe comes off for Hollman to get a taste of a grand final victory.

77 mins: Haley would be my player of the match I reckon, although the list of contenders is long and even.

75 mins: Sydney continue to string passes together in the middle and final third with Lowe, Fenton, Hawkesby, Ibini and Vine all busy running off the magnificent Haley.

73 mins: Another Hawkesby corner, another Sydney header – Rule this time – but it’s harmlessly over the bar.

70 mins: Apologies, I just found myself distracted wading through Twitter suggesting most of the 9,500 fans inside the ground today had free tickets.

68 mins: Haley has been outstanding today and once again she’s too strong for WUFC, holding the ball up and releasing Vine down the right. The speedster tears down the flank, cuts in, but instead of heading for goal she looks for the cutback and Western United clear. Hannah Keane tries to turn the momentum single handedly and runs with the ball at the Sydney defence and almost carves her way through before McLean executes a textbook one-on-one tackle.

66 mins: It’s an ALW record crowd in Parramatta today, with over 9,000 making the trip to western Sydney.

65 mins: The scoreline does not flatter Sydney FC who have bossed this game from the opening whistle and looked the only team in it this half. However, that was a curious, soft penalty.

GOAL! Western United 0-3 Sydney FC (Ibini, 63)

Ibini drills the spot-kick low into the left corner. Beall doesn’t even dive. Game over.

Penalty! (Sydney FC)

Tremendous skill from the increasingly influential Ibini. She drives between two players, into the box, lays off to Haley but the chance goes begging. Then, out of nowhere, the whistle blows for a penalty! Replays suggest it was for an obstruction of the Sydney winger on her way into the box, but it was far from conclusive. WUFC are furious.

62 mins: It’s all got a bit scrappy with bodies flying everywhere in midfield and passes going astray from both sets of players.

60 mins: Western United have finally found a foothold in this half.

57 mins: Beall again denies Vine! Superb forward play with her back to goal by Haley, laying the ball off for Vine on the run with her left foot but it’s straight at the keeper. Haley, Ibini, and Vine have all been dangerous this half for Sydney. They’ve just lacked a final touch.

56 mins: They’ve been on the back foot all half but WUFC are gifted a free-kick in a dangerous area after Rule nudges Keane in the back as she accepts a long ball. This is a great shooting opportunity, but Taranto’s effort lacks the menace to beat Whyman.

55 mins: Now Beall denies Vine three times! The first is a block after a superb Hawkesby through-ball. The second great positioning after Vine retrieved the loose ball. Then the third a smother at the forward’s feet from the second phase. Western United hanging on.

54 mins: Still the Sky Blues keep pushing for a third. Lowe, who has been superb this half, is the latest to test Beall but her swivelled shot is straight at the WUFC keeper.

52 mins: Hmmmm, should Vine be off? An underhit backpass to Beall ends with the Matildas flyer collecting the WUFC keeper. Already booked for something similar in the first half, Vine is a little fortunate not to see another yellow, and a red.

51 mins: Hawkesby has a golden opportunity to seal the game but she belts her first-time effort from 8 metres wildly over the bar. The chance arrived after the second long spell of Sydney pressure on the edge of WUFC’s box with Ibini, Lowe, Haley, and Hawkesby all to the fore.

50 mins: Just as in the first half, Sydney are refusing Western United any time in possession. It’s hard to see where one goal will come from, let alone two.

48 mins: Sydney FC pick up where they left off with Princess Ibini orchestrating a beautiful move that ends with the forward just overhitting her through-ball for Hawkesby allowing Beall to gather.

46 mins: We’re back underway in Parramatta. Can Western United turn it around?

Sydney FC were the better of the two sides in that opening half and head to the break ahead thanks to two set-piece goals. Their dominance stems from their pressure without the ball all over the ground, while in Vine and Haley they have a pair of top class forwards.

Western United grew into the match after a slow start and forced Whyman into a couple of vital saves, but only Keane has looked like causing the Sky Blues any problems. If there’s to be a comeback it looks like it’s going to have to arrive off her boot.

Half-time: Western United 0-2 Sydney FC

The premiers are on course for the double at the break.

45 + 6 mins: Sydney now camped in WUFC’s half pinging the ball from one side to the other before three Americans collide near the penalty spot with Beall doing superbly to claim a long punt ahead of Haley and Cummings.

45 + 4 mins: Lowe does well on a number of occasions, winning the ball back for Sydney, turning smartly to create space, then keeping play moving with smart passes while teammates fail with Hollywood balls.

45 + 2 mins: Sydney continue to work the ball neatly down the right, but Vine is not relishing any contact. She’s doing well holding onto half-time and a full inspection of that left ankle injury.

45 mins: Another Hawkesby effort fails to trouble the scoreboard. This time her left-footed snapshot is easily saved by Beall after strong centre-forward play from Haley.

Seven minutes of injury time!

44 mins: Hawkesby has a good shooting opportunity on the left edge of the box but Cummings gets in the way. Fenton’s industry and Haley’s class created the chance.

43 mins: Vine goes on one of her mazy runs, but as she loses control she pulls up very gingerly, and she does not look happy with the world. This could be a major blow for Sydney FC, and potentially the Matildas.

41 mins: End-to-end now in Parramatta with Western United finally able to find a way through Sydney’s midfield. Now they need to figure out a route beyond Whyman, who’s save a couple of minutes ago was out of the top drawer.

38 mins: Keane is clearly the danger for Wester United, and she engineers a snapshot on the turn of the WUFC box that is deflected off the boot and saved by Whyman. That precedes a magnificent save by the Sydney shotstopper, raising a palm to repel a fierce drive from eight metres out. Western United have sprung to life!

36 mins: … and the second is not far behind! Whyman again has to be alert to dive low to her left to tip away a glancing effort from Keane that was destined for the far corner.

35 mins: The third yellow card of the day is administered to Sydney’s Rule for a wild boot to the face of Steer. There was no malice intended as she looked to control a high ball, but it was deserving of a booking. From the free-kick Sydney survive two goalmouth scrambles! The first sees Keane denied by a forest of legs, the second saved by Whyman following a deflection from a Cummings drive. The first scare for the Sky Blues.

33 mins: Sydney FC continue to force turnovers at will.