Terry Antonis cries again. The travelling Victory fans cry with relief.

Alex Brosque rolls out a thousand-yard stare for the post-match interview. He’s asked if this is his last game for Sydney, the captain admits he’s not sure.

Rhys Williams hobbles touchline on his crutches. It seems a lifetime since he went down cruelly in the warm up. Lawrence Thomas receives the adulation of the travelling fans. Graham Arnold waves a sombre hand goodbye to Allianz stadium and the Sydney FC fans.

What a game, what drama, what human emotion.

120 + 7 min: We’ve got an extended delay as Theoharous receives treatment. You’d imagine genuinely, the veteran really collected him to be fair. Kevin Muscat rages at the fourth official. Almost mandatory, really.

120 + 4 min: And the rain comes back. Call it pathetic fallacy (look it up). Graham Arnold looks forlorn once again. Wilkshire goes through Theoharous.

Have they lost their discipline? Probably. To be fair though, one of their teammates just got choked by an opposite member of the coaching staff, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯?

120 min: And we have another five added minutes!

We’ve played about two. Theoharous limps after that scything challenge from Zullo. Okay, let’s do football again.

Athiu steps in, he pinches off the toes of Ninkovic, and is fouled in the process. The Victory players celebrate. There’s about 90 seconds left in this.

114 min: Freekick Sydney as Carney tangles with Barbarouses.

Wowee. Deng with a leaping tackle on Simon, inside the box! Call that brave or absolutely gobsmackingly fool-hardy, but he’s pulled it off, the Victory centre half. 114 minutes gone, and the 21-year-old backs his aching legs. Remarkable.

111 min: Simon continues his battle with Deng. Both literal, and metaphorical that is.

Sydney FC fire in a corner, but Adrian can’t find a teammate. Are they the side more likely to go for it here, Sydney? The visitors don’t appear to have really recovered from seeing their heroic regulation-time win snatched from their gaping maws.

108 min: Freekick to Sydney as Donachie is adjudged to have fouled Bobo.

Adrian (ADRIAN!) fires it in. Simon goes to ground, screaming for a penalty. On second glance, there’s half a shout for that. But VAR thankfully keeps stumm.

It would perhaps be a travesty if this game was decided by the men with the joysticks upstairs. Brosque and Arnold remonstrate bitterly with the fourth official, but to no avail.

104 min: Sydney FC with another set-piece, and again it’s the physical presence of Matt Simon that earns the foul. Adrian whips in but Thomas comes well to punch clear. He’s been busy tonight, the Victory custodian, but in fairness he’s hardly put a foot wrong.

101 min: It’s a contrast of emotions on the touchline. Graham Arnold might have been mentally saying his goodbyes with 90 +5 minutes on the clock; now he’s a man having been spared execution and it’s an utterly deflated JP DeMarigny on the Victory bench. The assistant allowed to take in the disappointment, but Muscat channels his frustrations elsewhere; towards to fourth official.

98 min: Victory now with a corner, it’s Antonis over it. His former fans aren’t backwards in giving him the razz. The Cove even give him an ironic chant of his name. The poor lad. He puts it right into the arms of Redmayne and the cheers continue.

95 min: Sydney FC look to play it round the back, both sides taking a slight respite, and in fairness, who can really blame them after that late drama.

Meanwhile, Ray from Malmsbury raises a good point:

Victory put four away – trouble is, two of them were in their own net.

Moral “victory”!

Yep. True, Ray. But you can’t bank silverware with moral victories.

93 min: Shot! Sydney look to strike early against a presumably demoralised Victory. Simon is putting himself about with gusto, and the loose ball falls to Adrian. He rolls out to Bobo who drills a fierce shot, but from an acute angle Thomas covers well.

90 + 4 min: And they’ve got another chance here Sydney - they feed back in again, and it’s a free header!!

Warland! Free in the box! He rises and flicks - and it drifts inches wide!

90 + 2 min: .. and it rattles the crossbar!!

You wouldn’t believe it - of all people, it’s the young centre back from Adelaide with a sumptuous volley from the edge of the box, it beats Thomas, but it can’t beat the frame of the goal!

90 min: There are five added minutes, and here comes the Theoharous sub. It’s George to make way.

We’re one minute down, and Sydney resort to lumping it long for the dual towers of Simon and Bobo.

Ninkovic looks to weave some magic. O’Neill fires one back into the mix, they’re throwing everything at it now, and it’s a volley from Warland ..

87 min: Chance! Victory go route one and it’s Barbarouses who wins the header (wot?) - he flicks on to George who tries to flash one from an acute angle, but Redmayne has his angles covered.

George stays down, to the anger of the Sydney ‘keeper. They’re adept in the arts of ‘game management’ are Melbourne Victory, who are looking to introduce Theoharous for another 30-second sapping contribution.

85 min: Antonis heads to the sideline to receive attention for a head-knock. Home fan ire rises commensurately.

It’s really starting to look like it’s not going to happen for the reigning champions and premiers. What can they muster.

83 min: Broxham and Athiu look to combine as Muscat urges his chargers on with some animation from the sideline. Some glum looking faces in the FC active support area, The Cove.

Victory earn a corner, and they take their sweet time going about it, as is their prerogative I guess.

81 min: Broxham clatters Wilkshire late, and now Kenny Athiu is ushered into the action to replace Berisha.

The Kosovan takes his time to depart. He’ll claim he didn’t see the board, but for about half-a-minute then it looked like Victory’s marksman just point blank didn’t fancy getting subbed!

79 min: Victory have to be careful here, they can’t afford to drop too deep and just set out their stall to defend.

Sydney enjoy back-to-back corners. Are they building some late pressure?

76 min: Chance! Wowee, these Arnold changes are getting straight into it. Less than sixty seconds on, and it’s Carney almost with the equaliser!

A terrific looping header from Bobo, which Thomas does well to claw out; but the spilled ball falls to Carney and again the Victory custodian is there to deny FC! It was drilled straight at him in fairness, but fine reactions nevertheless.

75 min: Well how about this. Fifteen minutes to go, and the all-conquering premiers, Sydney FC, could be staring at the end of the road.

David Carney looks to be limbering up - is this the third and final change for Arnold? Ooh. An attacking shift - the defensive mid Brillante is sacrificed and the ginger assassin enters the fray.

72 min: O’Neill lines up the freekick - but it floats just over. It was one of those classic ones where it’s almost TOO close to the goal, not allowing the taker to really get under it and generate some oomph.

And Muscat responds with his first change - it’s Mattias Sanchez who comes on for the goalscorer, Troisi.

70 min: And remarkably after 70 minutes without a single yellow card, we’ve had two in a minute! Troisi goes into the book for a late clatter on Adrian, and then it’s Antonis penalised as Simon goes down just outside the box.

And we’ve got a mini-melee! Ladies and Gentlemen - the Matt Simon effect!

68 min: It’s the skipper Brosque who makes way. He’s not had the influence on this encounter that he’d perhaps have wanted, Sydney’s all-time top goalscorer.

And the people get what they came for: Simon.

66 min: Thomas goes down after a late challenge from Warland whilst coming to claim a cross. A bit naughty that from the young defender, an old hip and shoulder to tickle the ribs.

And Graham Arnold has seen enough: Matt Simon warning - the human wrecking ball could be about the enter the fray. I repeat, Matt Simon. Incoming.

64 min: Melbourne working very hard to press Sydney and not allow their flair players too much space. We’ve hardly seen Bobo involved at all, which conversely means there hasn’t been too many opportunities for Ninkovic or Adrian to feed the 27-goal striker.

62 min: Chance! Thumping strike from Brillante, it arrows for the bottom corner, but Thomas gets down well to tip it around the post!

A weak clearance from Nigro starts the opportunity - Brillante does ever so well, but is denied.

60 min: But George strikes the wall. Danger averted, and Sydney look to try and break quickly. The crowd try to lift their side once more. A few nerves floating round Allianz stadium at the moment you sense.

58 min: The home fans look to get a ‘Viking clap’ going to lift their side. This is looking, well, you don’t want to say comfortable, for Victory, but it’s certainly not the performance most would be expecting from the premiers.

And Broxham is brought down just outside the box - huge set piece chance for Leroy George; what can he fashion?

55 min: Oh no the Buijs. There was talk the Dutchman had been struggling all week with a back tweak, but as he went to twist and pass then the centre defender has crumbled to the turf. A sad way to end the season if his teammates can’t give him one more game to aim for.

On comes Ben Warland - the first substitution of the game.

52 min: Sydney now looking to build from the back. Victory aren’t exactly sitting back, but they’re making it apparent to their hosts that if they’re going to get back into this, they’ll have to show a bit more ambition and industry.

Ninkovic looking to get more involved and he combines with Adrian but the Victory defence does enough to snuff out the attack.

49 min: Deary me. First close up of Graham Arnold rocking his ‘grumpy cat’ look. And fair play to him, that’s not the kind of error we’ve come to expect from his side over the past two seasons. Full credit to Victory, they’ve been clinical and hungry, pouncing on any scraps they’ve been handed.

And we’ve got our first Riley McGree imitator. That didn’t take long:

Meanwhile, the former Mayor of Gosford, now Lord of Newcastle is in the house:

Cheeky.

So, your thoughts on that 45?

Stats-wise FC have dominated possession (56-44%) and technically boast six shots to five; but were they the more dangerous?

How’d you see that unfold - fire me your musings and predictions. And remember, there’s no such thing as a bad prediction. Even if somebody then posts it on the internet, it goes half-way round the world, and then stays in the metadata of a Facebook app-partner forever, and ever.

43 min: A bit of zip going out of this, possibly for the first time in the opening stanza as both XIs start to ponder half-time perhaps.

Ninkovic works hard in defence to shut down Nigro, showing that flair and graft can sometimes coexist.

40 min: Fine work from Wilkshire at the back after Antonis dinks a ball through for Barbarouses. The right back recovers and shuts down the space with Redmayne also quick to respond.

Kevin Muscat appears to have done his homework tonight, Victory are really finding opportunities out wide and in transition.

38 min: Save! Brosque with some fine work to put through Adrian (ADRIAN!) - he’s one on one with Thomas, but the Victory custodian does well to stand tall. The Pole looks to dink past him, but it strikes the face-region of the man in fluoro green. Important save!

This already feels far from the cagey encounter many predicted.

35 min: Sydney FC try to reassert some midfield dominance, as Brillante and O’Neill look to string passes. It falls to the former-Fiorentina man who lines one up from distance but that’s no trouble for Thomas.

33 min: And Victory with another decent eighteen-yard-box intrusion here, Berisha does well to pick out Troisi, but the Melbourne playmaker dallies and the opportunity is lost!

They’re not exactly under the hammer, Sydney FC, but it’s looking far from a controlled first third of the game from the premiers.

28 min: It’s not been a niggly or nasty game so far, but we have seen plenty of set piece opportunities. Adrian looks to fire another one for the home side but he’s overhit it and Buijs (yeah the Buijs) is unable to keep it in.

25 min: A corner now for Victory as they look to make immediate amends. George is over it, he fires to the far post but Redmayne comes and claims.

Some grumbling in the crowd as Valeri appears to handball, Maradona-esque, in the attacking move that earns the corner. Crime doesn’t prosper, kids.

20 min: They’re not exactly rattled here, Sydney, but Graham Arnold and FC fans might be concerned about the freedom with which Victory seem to be fashioning some of these counterattacks.

Meanwhile, on transition it’s Valeri who’s fortunate to avoid the book as he scythes down Ninkovic. What can they fashion from this?

18 min: And our first key moment - as Barbarouses clatters the post!

He was well found by his flying opposite winger, George, he connected sweetly with his effort, struck it with venom towards Redmayne’s near post, but it’s thundered back off the upright!

15 min: George tries one from a very acute angle.. flashes the side netting! Both sides finding joy down the flanks. No surprises given the quality out wide.

And bad news out of Western Sydney (their A-League season aside), as Michelle emails in:

Hey Richard, no power here in North Parra. So no tv. Relying on The Guardian to keep us up to date on the game.

On the game itself, part of me wants to see Victory put esfc to the sword, another wants to see Newcastle do it in the GF. Hoping its an epic battle either way. Right, back to your updates

Cheers Michelle - and hoping the power comes back on in time for deathstrikes penalties. Then you can really taste the salty tears of [insert nemesis].

13 min: And suddenly it’s Sydney attacking. Wilkshire scampers down the right and looks to whip one in. Adrian (ADRIAN!) stoops to head inside the box but it’s snapped off his gleaming pate by the boot of Donachie. Nosferatu The Polish winger shows his disappointment.

11 min: The rain has really ramped up a bit here at Allianz stadium. Squalling and whirling. Almost Cake-Tin-esque.

Victory break down the left, and George almost picks out Berisha. Buijs to the rescue. Yeah the Buijs.

9 min: Broxham is now deemed to have handballed - Adrian (insert Rocky scream) is over it.. but he drives it hard into the wall, and the danger is averted.

7 min: Barbarouses released with a terrific raking crossfield ball from Broxham. He’s one on one, but the assistant referee signals for offside! On second glance he seems hard done by there, the Kiwi, but either way the attack is abruptly halted.

5 min: An early coming together between George and Wilkshire. Hints of a forearm press across the upper chest/throat region on replay from the Sydney FC defender but it goes unpunished. Kurt Ams our man in the middle tonight.

3 min: Sydney enjoying some early possession with their metronomic duo of Brillante and O’Neill caressing it around the middle. They break down the left and look to unleash Zullo, but the flying fullback is unable to fashion a dangerous cross.

Nevertheless, good to see young Josh Hope coming onto the Victory bench. They’ve bloodied some fine young talents this season, Victory, and alongside Christian Theoharous, Hope’s been about the pick of them. Can he be a late game-changer?

Our players have made their way out of the tunnel, so we’re not too far away from kick-off now.

Handshakes exchanged, so we should be about three minutes away from the first yellow card-worthy moment.

And scarcely have we got our buildup underway, there’s a big early talking point.

Huge blow, this for the Victory. The 14-cap Socceroo is so important to their defensive line-up, and while Stefan Nigro has played a fair bit in recent months and will slot in capably at fullback, you never want to lose one of your key on-field leaders.

Thomas Deng presumably moves back to centre back, as he and James Donachie look to shackle the imposing aerial presence of Sydney FC’s Bobo.

Hi all! What a game we presumably have in store tonight.

Richard Parkin in the chair to take you through all the highs and lows of this one. I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly still reeling from that remarkable Riley McGree goal from last night’s first semi-final. And here was I thinking Bes’ overhead goal to snatch it at the death against Adelaide United in the preliminary final was high drama.

As always this “rolling report” is a train that picks up all passengers. If you have quips, tips or observations that will illuminate and enrich all our lives please get in touch. Fire an email to richard.parkin.casual@theguardian.com or find me on twitter @rrjparkin to join the coverage.

You could get your name in lights - like this plucky newcomer to A-League football!

Ah yes. Can Victory “do the impossible” indeed. In a two-team game of football. Bless those plucky underdogs from the wrong side of the tracks.

Richard Parkin will be here shortly to take you through all tonight’s action. In the interim, if you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t seen it yet - check out Riley McGree’s wonderstrike from semi-final one and join the debate; is this the greatest goal the A-League’s ever seen?