Football Ferns defender Rebekah Stott has played her part in a significant piece of sporting history, helping Melbourne City became the first club to claim the Westfield W-League title four times.

The undefeated premiers capped a dominant season with a hard-fought 1-0 win against defending champions Sydney FC in the final, played behind closed doors due to the covid-19 pandemic.

The decisive moment arrived when an effort from captain Steph Catley was fumbled into her own net by Sky Blues goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe with a quarter of an hour on the clock.

City’s rock-solid defensive line – which has conceded only five goals in 14 matches all season with Stott at its heart – then held firm to prevent Sydney getting back into the game.

The victory meant Rado Vidosic’s side were able to a record fourth championship in five years since their competition debut and maintain their perfect record in grand finals.

Stott has been in the squad for each of those title triumphs after joining the team in its inaugural season in 2015. She is one of only four players to be ever-present through this period for success. 

The 26-year-old featured for the full 90 minutes and played an important role in keeping yet another clean sheet as City wrote themselves into the record books.

Article added: Sunday 22 March 2020