W-League 2021 grand final: Sydney FC v Melbourne Victory – live!

101 mins Green is defending with her head, quite literally, and runs onto the second to try and play out. But it leaves space behind that Victory fill. Cooney-Cross takes Victory’s 22nd shot of the game. Of course, it doesn’t go in. Actually scoring isn’t a thing this match. Longo is on the sideline now with cramp.

98 mins Prior has gone down to do something, we’re not sure. Perhaps just to ensure Sydney don’t continue with 10 while she fixes herself up. Whyman has just pulled out a top-drawer save, a leap to the heavens to stop Longo’s effort from some distance. Toby makes an impressive run in a Sydney attack that fizzles out.

95 mins Polias is excellent with the dead ball but this corner drops onto the top of the net. Zimmerman looks to be down with what looks like a leg injury. She is soon off and replaced by Lia Privitelli. She had a good shift, did Zimmerman.

93 mins Extra-time is probably a blessing for Sydney, who had the momentum against them and can no re-set. Beard makes her move but is caught by Polias and Sydney are off and away until Ayres stops Wheeler in her tracks.

90+5 mins If there was ever a chance for Victory to FINALLY convert one of their myriad chances, this is it. Cooney-Cross whips in a corner that Whyman DROPS! The ball is there, hovering on the goal line, waiting for a Victory player to poke it home. Sydney have four bodies in goal and Prior comes to the rescue to hook it clear. Stay in your seats, we’re here for another half an hour at least.

90+2 mins There are four minutes of added time and Polias is tackled with force. This is going to extra-time for sure.

90 mins Mclean has done her dash. Officials are taking no chances if it’s concussion, which means Angelique Hristodoulou is on the field. Don’t envy her; it’s rather tense out there at the minute.

88 mins In the final five minutes now and Hopkins cuts a stern figure before Whyman ducks out of her goal for another two sparkling saves, the latter of which cleans up Mclean. She’s checking on her injured teammate, who has been hit in the head, and the physio is back out there.

85 mins Holy bananas! Whyman that is some save. Zimmerman floats a cross in to the back post where Cooney-Cross is waiting at point0-blank range. She has her head on it but can’t get past Whyman, who smacks straight into the post and gets tangled in the net before releasing herself just in time for Cooney-Cross to skew her follow-up wide.

83 mins Toby is off the shoulder of Doran now. She doesn’t want Victory to have all the fun, and cuts inside for a right-footed attempt from some distance. My that’s close. Just over the bar in the end but Garton was out of her league.

80 mins Cooney-Cross provides a first-time cross and Tobin is tussling and hussling to clear the ball from the box but Jackson simply redeposits the second ball back in there. Whyman races to intercept and fumbles slightly, popping the ball in front of her and also in front of De Vanna, which is a very bad idea. But De Vanna is on the ground and shaking her head at having failed to capitalise on an open goal.

78 mins Sydney are pinging the ball around in their attacking third for a lot longer than we’ve witnessed this half. Wheeler is feeling confident but her audacious volley is not.

75 mins Polias is preparing for a free-kick, socks down, re-doing her shin pads. Always important. She takes her run-up but the result is easily dealt with by Beard as Victory race off on the counter.

72 mins Cooney-Cross and Ayres have really worked their way into this game after a slow start. Doran is in space and releases a ball into the box. No sooner than she has done that possession is back with Sydney, then back with Victory. Ping pong, anyone?

69 mins This is a deadlock and a half, despite Victory’s clear attacking superiority. They have 16 shots to five now but just can’t seem to convert. One suspects patience will precede a goal at some point before the end of regular time but stranger things have happened in grand finals.

62 mins Wheeler engineers an attacking move for Sydney that looks promising. Siemsen is onside and sends a square ball through to defenders to Lowe, whose shot is blocked by said defenders, specifically Lowe. All-too-rare foray for Sydney. And now the inevitable: Ibini exits with that injury, making way for Toby.

60 mins Green loses the ball to Ayres, who finds De Vanna, then Longo then Beard, only for Green to head clear. Jackson hoiks an attempted strike well wide from deep. After a a brief spell of Sydney possession De Vanna is foraging down the right. Cooney-Cross tries out her left foot in front of goal before Longo’s stronger effort goes up and over.

57 mins The Ibini thing was either her foot or ankle, but she coming back onto the field, though appears to be limping and not moving freely.

55 mins Doran has absolutely pounded Ibini into submission. The forward is on the ground and now the sideline being attended to by a club physio. Looks like Allira Toby has been approached on the bench and could get her chance.

52 mins The ball is changing hands faster than toilet paper rolls during Covid. Sydney have it now as Wheeler runs in behind onto a delightfully threaded ball. Remy Siemsen is ready in the middle but Bunge stops the cross.

50 mins Victory are back in possession but not for long. Longo delivers to Zimmerman but her pass to Cooney-Cross is intercepted by Polias. Ibini is preparing for another rampage and is stopped only by a nicely timed challenge from Bunge.

49 mins Prior has a chance up the other end as the ball drops in front of her but Whyman gathers with little fuss.

47 mins Victory emerge with renewed intent as Beard whips a ball into Sydney’s box and De Vanna and Zimmerman both attemp shots.

45+1 mins Polias wraps up the opening stanza with a corner that gets away from Tobin and Prior and out of play. Mclean has barely taken the ensuing throw-in before the whistle goes.

44 mins The loose ball is hooked to Ibini at about halfway and she attempts to freight train her way through. Doran is in her wake, forcing Jackson to make a professional foul that earns her a booking.

43 mins Polias misjudges the wind for a corner that takes a little excursion into the outside netting. Possession is back with Victory and Beard has the throw-in. Annalie Longo tries to strike but swipes and pops up the ball.

42 mins Green is straight back into the action, teasing the defence in her path as the Sky Blues get numbers into Victory’s box. The clearance is made. Possession is 46% Sydney to Victory’s 54%. Shots are 2-4.

34 mins Sydney work the ball to the edge of the area and Lowe has a crack at a first-time strike from the top of the box but there are Victory bodies everywhere. We are not a million miles away from half-time and no goal as yet.

But wait! Claudia Bunge has just been ransacked by Wheeler, who races forward and takes a shot which is easily gathered by Garton. Bunge atoned by engaging in the footrace and exerting just enough pressure as Wheeler took perhaps a fraction longer than needed.

30 mins Ibini is a bright spark for this young Sydney side who’ve been a touch nervous. Her boot is on the ball and her gaze forward, searching for options. She plays a through ball that Mackenzie Hawkesby has the forethought to leave for Mclean cross-field on the right. Good chance but she waits a little too long and Zimmerman tracks well. Sydney have a corner that goes unrewarded.

27 mins Ibini is hassling Victory again, rushing forward and engaging in a cute one-two with Rachel Lowe, forcing the visitors to redistribute defensive resources. Claudia Bunge clears.

26 mins Teresa Polias gets a sniff, her first really. Natasha Prior regained possession inside Sydney’s half and Polias ensured it got out of there quick smart.

23 mins Angie Beard sends in a free-kick. It’s a curler which the wind plays havoc with a little, and Wheeler deals with it commensurately. Good thing, too, as Jada Whyman didn’t look quite ready.

20 mins Melina Ayres finally injects herself into the game, pivoting for a deep cross to Zimmerman. Green is there to avert the danger.

17 mins Ally Green rushes into space and utilises it well, passing to Ibini, who is clipped mid-run by Amy Jackson. It’s a little cold out despite the sun, and Juric is in a puffer jacket, a touchline picture of concentration.

15 mins Let’s just talk about Cooney-Cross for moment, because she is 19 and in formidable form and surely, – surely – not far away from a Matildas call-up. De Vanna turns on a dime again, runs off the shoulder onto her favoured left foot and takes a shot. Sydney clear.

12 mins Cooney-Cross! She tucks away a shot that makes contact with the lower edge of the crossbar! That was unbelievably close, millimetres lower and that’s the opening goal for Victory.

10 mins Victory are playing out well partly thanks to Kyra Cooney-Cross. And De Vanna is on the move again. My she is still quick in short bursts, but Charlotte Mclean matches her and makes a key clearance in the box.

6 mins Clare Wheeler breaks down the line and Ibini is there again. If we are judging form on the opening several minutes the Sky Blues are moving about well. Cohesively, even. Right on cue, Victory have an opening for De Vanna, who takes a turn and offers a hint that she is going to be a problem for the hosts today.

4 mins Princess Ibini is already away fown the left flank, shirking opponents on her way. But she can’t get away from Zimmerman, whose crunching tackle gives Sydney a corner. The erstwhile Teresa Polias takes it and very nearly scores, forcing Gabriela Garton to tip the ball over the bar. How about this for a start./

The Welcome to Country and national anthem is followed by a minute’s silence for the late Prince Philip. Take what you want from that.

Victory might be humming in attack but they’ll challenged by a Sydney defensive unit that has conceded a league-low 11 goals in 13 games this season. Ante Juric’s Sky Blues have also scored 26 – one more than Victory. So yeah, swings and roundabouts. This one is tough to call.

Victory coach Jeff Hopkins is feeling confident after last week’s performance against the Roar.

“It’s great for you to know that your strikers are really in form. We created a lot of chances against a very good side. The spirit in the camp has been really good and we’ve hit good form just at the right time.”

He is, of course, referring to his attacking treble of De Vanna, Melina Ayres and Catherine Zimmerman, De Vanna scoring a brace and adding an assist against Brisbane, Ayres netting a hat-trick and Zimmerman a goal of her own.

Hopkins has also done the prerequisite study of Sydney.

“We’ve looked at a number of things. The one thing they did really well against us in the last game was transition to attack. They broke quickly on us. We’ve been working a fair bit on that this week, just making sure when we’re attacking we set up a structure that doesn’t allow them to break quickly on us.”

And on De Vanna being in a wheelchair this week. Hopkins said, with a glint in his eye, that the 36-year-old Matildas veteran is “very old”.

“She was just making a little bit of a fuss. She likes to be spoiled a little bit as well. It was more done in jest really. She’s pulled up really. All season we’ve just had to manage her a little bit differently. She’s probably the most dynamic player in the league, puts a lot more into the games and takes a little bit longer to come out.”

Welcome to our live coverage of the 2021 W-League grand final, a battle of all proportions between Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar.

Victory are hunting their first championship in a decade in their first decider since 2013-14, when they were champions. The last three years they didn’t even qualify for the finals but this season have been on song, demonstrated by a 6-2 semi-final win over Brisbane Roar. Pressure.

The Sky Blues have trodden a different trajectory, this being their fourth straight grand final appearance having just secured their first premiers’ plate in 10 years and now attempting the double. Canberra United were comfortably dispatched 3-0 in their semi but Victory present a very different kettle of fish. Pressure.

The thing about pressure is it tends to manifest in many ways, and whichever form it takes for each side will go some way to deciding this encounter at Jubilee Stadium. Lisa De Vanna is born to play big games and, despite the exodus overseas of so many other big-game enthusiasts, young players have thrived, in a testament to consistency in both teams.

The sides have met once this season, less than a fortnight ago, when Sydney won 2-1 courtesy of a Teresa Polias free-kick and Princess Ibini penalty.

All six of today’s referees will be women, with Rebecca Durcau in the centre and joined by assistants Laura Moya and Lauren Hargrave, additional assistants Lara Lee and Isabella Blaess and fourth official Sarah Ho.

Join us for live coverage of all the action. We get under way at 4.05pm AEST.