Credit: Getty Images Credit: Getty Images

Canberra United took the points against Sydney FC 2-1 on Wednesday night on a balmy Canberra evening at McKellar Park in one of the best games of football played in the W-League to date.The first half was played at a cracking pace, each team expertly weaving the ball through the midfield, only to be picked off by their opposition backline.

Canberra appeared to have more quality possession throughout, with Sydney FC looking to go long relatively early which was a good sign for Canberra’s defence.

Canberra’s vice captain Ellie Brush described the first 30 minutes.

“It was absolutely frantic. We would have like to slow it down and find our passing range a bit better,” she said.

“We had things to work on from that first half. Sydney have rightfully earned their spot on top of the ladder and have really been the title contenders, but tonight we came out and we’re glad we broke their run of wins.

"We won our individual battles all over the park and everyone put in for a great win.”

Canberra weren’t without fault. Brush’s excellent game at centre back was peppered with some weak back passes that Sydney FC almost exploited, and Lori Lindsey faded at the back end of the second half and made some unforced errors in passing.

Still, her positional play to find herself clear in the final third is to be admired, and her combination play with Ashleigh Sykes is a danger to any opposition.

For Sydney, Jodie Taylor was dangerous but Catherine Brown did a terrific job on the speedy international.

On the two occasions that Brown was turned around, Brush was there to cover up.

It is usually Canberra’s strikers and flankers who are credited for their speed but Canberra’s backline showed tonight that they can match the speed of Emma Kete and Taylor.

Sydney could not string the passes together that have made them the team to watch this season.

While Sydney midfielder Teresa Polias looked lively in spurts, it was noticeable that Sydney’s midfielders looked indecisive when faced with a sea of green.

“Any team that presses you kind of hard is going to make you stutter a bit,” Canberra’s midfielder Caitlin Munoz said after the game. “I know we sort of don’t like it at times.”

If anything, it was Canberra who played with Sydney FC’s usual carefree attacking attitude.

However, there were too many passes at the edge of the 18 yard box at times, despite Michelle Heyman showing that a well blasted shot from distance could be highly effective, scoring the opening goal after 9 minutes.

Watching Sydney FC was almost like watching the Matildas in that all of the players are just so familiar.

Sam Kerr has to be one of the most recognisable sports women in the country, and she delighted with a number of flanking runs, one of which resulted in the free kick which saw Michelle Heyman yellow carded and Renee Rollason convert for Sydney’s lone goal.

Yellow cards were also dished out to Canberra’s Lori Lindsey, Ellie Brush and Sydney’s Amy Harrison, and the usually polite Canberra crowd were not enamoured with referee Kirralee Andruschak’s performance throughout.

Caitlin Foord’s omission from Sydney FC’s starting line up was also quizzical, and while she looked spritely in her warm up and on the field as a central midfielder in the final minutes of the game, we learnt afterwards that she had been very ill prior to kick off.

Foord’s presence will certainly help the Sky Blues in the return match with Canberra United in only 11 days.

Canberra’s Munoz spoke about the situation Sydney FC now find themselves in. “Sydney FC have been at peak performance for a while. They’ve had a rough trot recently though, going over to Japan and having a couple of catch up games."

"We did it the season before so we know how hard it is.”

She added “It was just brilliant to get the result in front of this awesome home crowd.”

Canberra’s season ticket holders were bolstered this week with curious first timers, including Prime TV newsreader Natalie Forrest and local musicians The Fun Machine, who were blown away by the experience.

Forrest commented after the game “I’ve been to Capitals [basketball] games and Canberra Cavalry [baseball] but I’ve never heard a Canberra crowd so vocal and passionate,” she said.

Canberra back up against Newcastle Jets on Saturday at 4pm at McKellar Park, where Sally Shipard is a 99 per cent chance of starting in the first eleven.

The Sydney Derby is the television match this week with the Sky Blues heading to Campbelltown to take on Western Sydney Wanderers in the hope of ensuring a home semi final.