That was ruled out by VAR - and the destiny of the championship may well have been determined with that decision,Sydney winning an absorbing slugfest 1-0 in extra time.
City had the better of the game for long periods,but the champions dug in,held firm and produced a moment of quality in extra time to win the title for the second year in a row.
Wearing the red and white stripes of their forbears,Melbourne Heart,City began with an intensity and purpose that set Sydney back on their heels.
Twice within the first minute Erick Mombaerts side had goal opportunities,with Jamie Maclaren's effort deflected for a corner and Curtis Good heading over from Craig Noone's delivery.
Captain Josh Brillante predicted pre-game that the struggle in midfield would be physical and fast paced and that his side was determined to get''in the face''of Sydney's key creative influence,Serbian veteran Milos Ninkovic.
He was true to his word as City pushed on,denying Sydney space and time,forcing the champions to look nervous and flustered as they struggled to find any rhythm.