Tim Cahill delivers FFA Cup for Melbourne City against Sydney FC

Tim Cahill’s header proved decisive as Melbourne City won the FFA Cup final 1-0 against Sydney FC | WATCH

Melbourne City’s Tim Cahill celebrates in trademark fashion after scoring against Sydney FC in the FFA Cup final. Picture:Wayne Ludbey

That is what $3 million a season gets you.

If ever there was a case of money being well spent, then Melbourne City proved it categorically after lifting their first trophy thanks to — who else but Tim Cahill.

As he has done for most of his fabulous career, it was cometh the hour cometh the man as Cahill produced a trademark header in the second half for City to claim the FFA Cup with a 1-0 win in front of a record cup crowd of 18,751 at AAMI Park. It was also Sydney FC’s first defeat of the season.

Cahill described winning the trophy as one of the best moments of his illustrious career.

“It’s a truly amazing feeling. I am so proud of my teammates and the club and the people behind it,” Cahill said.

“When I came back I wanted to make a serious contribution. Some people said I was too old and my body wouldn’t hold up. That talk never worried me because I had a job and I knew I could do a job.

“I said to the boys, ‘this is history, enjoy it’. We are here to make a difference at this football club, we have to do things. We have won something and now we have to take this momentum.”

While he was the hero with his goal, Cahill, who had to be replaced not long after scoring when he copped a knock, had plenty of help from his teammates. City hardly had a bad player on the night and it was a fitting result.

A club with a burning ambition to dominate Australian soccer now that they’re in the hands of the fabulously wealthy City Football Group, City will no doubt see this success as a first, significant step to push onwards and seriously challenge Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC as giants of the A-League.

City coach John van’t Schip will go down in history as the first man to take the club to a trophy and he was naturally delighted

“It is important to win the first one. It shows you’re on right path,” van’t Schip said. “The players have worked very hard for this and, yes, it shows that we have something good ahead of us for the future.”

City will fancy their chances of going on to take the A-League title. While they are four points behind Sydney FC on the table, they have nonetheless made a huge statement.

The defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow for Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold and his players and means they remain without a trophy in six years.

Arnold said his side just couldn’t deliver the final pass and take advantage of some good football. “I think there was nothing between the two teams. It was a physical game, a stop-start game,” Arnold said. “We conceded sloppily off second phase of a set piece and got punished.

“We got in behind them a few times, created chances but couldn’t get that last pass right.

“But you have to congratulate Melbourne City. There was a big crowd tonight and you can see they will be a big club.”

The game was played at a cracking place for the opening 25 minutes or so and the ill-feeling in the first 10 minutes certainly added to the intensity. It was clear that City were targeting Michael Zullo, with the Sydney leftback coming in for special attention after being on the wrong end of tackles from Cahill and Luke Brattan.

It was Brattan’s scything lunge on Zullo that saw the game erupt near the Sydney bench. It turned into a melee with players rushing in from everywhere.

Arnold said Brattan’s foul on Zullo early in the match set the tone. “You have to match the fight,” he said. “But I thought Brattan’s foul was horrendous.”

Amid the pushing and shoving, City’s fiery Fernando Brandan found himself on the seat of his pants after a clash with Milos Ninkovic. In the end, Brandan got a yellow card and Ninkovic escaped without even a caution.

Sydney, however, were quicker to settle down and they looked far more dangerous in the opening 20 minutes, constantly finding space in behind the City defence. But they just couldn’t find a good, final pass to punish the home team.

City started to find rhythm not long after and should have taken the lead on 15 minutes when Nicolas Colazo fired in a free-kick from the right that was met by Cahill, but the Socceroo’s header just slipped past the right post.

Bruno Fornaroli, as you would expect, was the focal point of most of City’s attack and he really had the Sydney defence struggling to contain him.