The China Mail - Auckland FC become first New Zealand team to win A-League title

In front of a sold-out Go Media Stadium in Auckland, the 31-year-old bagged the winner on the hour mark to send the home fans into raptures.

It was a maiden title for the competition's newest club who are in only their second season and coached by former Sydney great Steve Corica.

Corica guided Sydney to their two most recent grand final wins in 2019 and 2020 before being sacked and heading to New Zealand in 2023.

"This was our goal from the start of the season and now we're here. We have it, I have no words," said World Cup-bound attacking midfielder Jesse Randall. "So proud of the boys and the staff."

Teammate Dan Hall, who was outstanding, added: "You really treasure these moments and to do it in front of a home crowd is something I'm going to remember forever."

While a bitter disappointment for Sydney, it was not entirely unexpected.

They had met Auckland six times before, and failed to win any of them.

Both sides pushed forward aggressively in a frenetic and physical opening, but the chances were few and far between.

Auckland's Sam Cosgrove had a penalty appeal waved away despite what looked like contact and teammate Lachlan Brook sent a long-range strike just wide.

The hosts took control with Sydney increasingly on the back foot, but with no clear-cut chances they headed to the break scoreless.

Sydney began the second-half with more urgency, troubling the Auckland defence, with the home side becoming frustrated with four yellow cards inside barely 10 minutes.

But they settled down and produced the breakthrough on 60 minutes with man-of-the-match Howieson's strike outside the box after a goalmouth scramble taking a deflection into the net.

Randall should have made it 2-0 with nine minutes left but he skied a sitter in front of goal, before the hosts grimly held on as Sydney pressed hard for an equaliser.

W.Cheng--ThChM