Auckland FC has made A-League history, becoming the first side from New Zealand to be crowned champion in either the men’s or women’s competition.

Having only entered the ALM ahead of the 2024-25 season, in which they claimed a shock premiership, the Black Knights added a second piece of silverware to their cabinet with a cagey 1-0 victory over league heavyweight Sydney FC.

New Zealand international and club inaugural signing Cam Howieson was the hero at a sold-out Mount Smart Stadium, firing a deflected, long-range match-winner in the 60th minute.

A Sydney FC great, Auckland coach Steve Corica claimed his third championship after leading the Sky Blues to back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020.

Corica is the first coach in the ALM era to win three grand finals, with Ange Postecoglou winning two National Soccer League championships and two in the modern league.

Last year’s premiers Auckland are the third club in league history to win a grand final from outside the top two, having finished the regular season in third.

Both teams struggled for attacking fluency in a season decider that will not be remembered as a classic, with the sides combining for just 13 shots across the 90 minutes.

Sky Blues forward Apostolos Stamatelopoulos and Auckland winger Jesse Randall traded first-half half-chances before Howieson sent the majority of the 28,374 fans at Mount Smart Stadium into raptures with his fortuitous strike.

Howieson’s left-footed effort deflected off Jordan Courtney-Perkins, wrong-footed Sydney shot stopper Harrison Devenish-Meares and nestled into the back of the net.

Sydney, in search of a record-extending sixth championship, pushed forward to some effect in the game’s closing stages, but saw presentable opportunities to captain Rhyan Grant and substitute Rhys Youlley go begging.

ABC/AAP