Auckland FC beat Sydney to become New Zealand's first A-League champions

[p]Scoring his first goal for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/auckland-fc/2J7jacL6/"]Auckland[/a] in his 58th match, ‌midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/howieson-cameron/fm1HlgSI/"]Howieson[/a]'s 60th-minute volley from well outside the area took a deflection before fizzing past wrong-footed goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/devenish-meares-harrison/Ot6dzeGD/"]Harrison ‌Devenish-Meares[/a].[/p][p]That was all the hosts needed to secure the trophy in their second ‌season, sending most of a sold-out crowd of 28,374 at Auckland's Mount Smart Stadium into ecstasy.[/p][p][b]"I'm ‌so stoked. This was our goal from the start of the season. And ‌we're here, and we've done it,"[/b] said Auckland forward [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/randall-jesse/SvHX4DoT/"]Jesse Randall[/a].[/p][p][b]"I'm so proud of all the boys and the staff, we've put so much work into this."[/b][/p][embed guid="578528ba-f379-4808-9eb8-74cf820dd6c3" url="https://x.com/fc_auckland/status/2058128797225115956" social-type="twitter" /][p]Auckland joined a select group of cross-border winners ‌in world football, emulating AS Monaco, who have won ⁠eight titles in France's Ligue 1 and Northern ‌Ireland's Derry City, twice league winners in the Republic of Ireland.[/p][p]They were little more than a ​concept a few years ago but, with the backing of American billionaire Bill Foley, the Black Knights' entry into the Australian top flight has been ​a stunning success, leaving New Zealand's established team in the competition, Wellington Phoenix, in their dust.[/p][p]In their A-League debut, Auckland won the Premier's Plate for finishing top of ⁠the table at the end of ​the regular season, but the ultimate fairytale finish eluded them in the playoffs.[/p][p]They suffered a semi-final choke at their home ground, losing 2-0 against Melbourne Victory after taking a 1-0 lead from the first leg back in Australia.[/p][p][b]All that was swept aside on Saturday when ‌they held firm in a tense finish [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/auckland-fc-2J7jacL6/sydney-fc-6JsBlXVI/?mid=dSGNnBd2"]against the A-League's most successful team.[/a][/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="d98ee03c-2156-46e1-8726-6764916e9f16" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="6b09a4a3-8686-479c-8fb6-aed8139d1347" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]For Auckland boss Steve Corica, it was a night of mixed emotions as he celebrated his third A-League title as coach against his old team.[/p][p]Corica delivered [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sydney-fc/6JsBlXVI/"]Sydney[/a] back-to-back titles in 2019-20 and, as a player, he scored the winner for them in the inaugural 2006 Grand Final against Central Coast Mariners.[/p][p]However, he left Sydney on a sour note, being sacked three games into the 2023/24 season.[/p][p]Bidding for a record-extending sixth championship, Patrick Kisnorbo's Sydney had scraped into the Grand Final via a penalty shootout following a ‌last-gasp equaliser in the semi-final against Newcastle Jets.[/p][embed guid="f2001a44-f747-4311-8dd9-94f55b0fc8d8" url="https://x.com/aleaguemen/status/2058164806650405371" social-type="twitter" /][p]But there was no late rally at ​Mount Smart.[/p][p]Sydney captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/grant-rhyan/0ljLrCei/"]Rhyan Grant[/a]'s quest for a record-equalling fifth A-League title as a ‌player fell short after having a late chance to equalise.[/p][p]He latched on to a pinpoint cross from English winger [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lolley-joe/QFQBpERj/"]Joe Lolley[/a] on 83 minutes but sent his glancing header just over the bar.[/p][p]By that stage, Sydney would have counted themselves lucky to be only a goal down, with Randall having missed a glorious chance ⁠to bury the Sky Blues just moments ⁠earlier when he blazed over from ‌short range and with the goal at his mercy.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/auckland-fc-2J7jacL6/sydney-fc-6JsBlXVI/?mid=dSGNnBd2"]Catch up on the match with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]