Milos Ninkovic converted the winning penalty as Sydney FC capped a record-breaking season with a 4-2 shootout triumph against Melbourne Victory to clinch a third A-League title at Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday. Ninkovic, voted the league's best player, had stepped up immediately after his goalkeeper Danny Vukovic saved a Marco Rojas attempt in the shootout, following a scrappy Grand Final that had ended locked at 1-1 after extra time.
Sydney's Alex Wilkinson and Melbourne captain Carl Valeri also missed their attempts in the shootout. "That penalty shootout went so quickly and I can't believe we have won it," Vukovic said. "Pure elation. I don't know what I would have done had I lost my fourth. "That was my fourth grand final and we've done it and done it in style."
The spiteful match was blighted by almost 60 fouls and 11 yellow cards, and ended deadlocked after Melbourne's Besart Barisha had opened the scoring in the 21st minute before Sydney's Rhyan Grant equalised with 20 minutes remaining. Melbourne's James Troisi was unlucky not to win the game in the 109th minute when his right foot volley cannoned off Vukovic's right upright, while Sydney's David Carney wasted an opportunity when he sliced his shot wide in the 115th minute.
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