IF THE first Sydney derby belonged to Sydney FC, who spoiled the party at Parramatta Stadium in October, it seemed only fitting that Western Sydney return the favour.

This was the night the ''Westies'' came and conquered the city. The Wanderers' two-goal margin could and should have been greater.

The Cove watched the latter stages in stunned, awkward silence. At the other end, in numbers Allianz Stadium has not seen before, the Red and Black Bloc provided the soundtrack for the 26,176 on hand. They would sing into the night, and there may be any number of sore heads today from Lidcombe to Leura. There certainly ought to be.

This win was also the fruits of hard work from Tony Popovic, having moulded the Wanderers into such a well-drilled battalion. It's hard to believe this club was just an idea six months ago.

''There's been a lot of milestones at this club, from the first pre-season game to the first game against Brisbane but this was sweet. This was special,'' Popovic said. ''I certainly enjoyed that.''