For the 12,141 fans who braved a cold Sunday night, it was perfection. That it was on display against their fiercest rivals made it all the sweeter, and it was delivered with a ruthlessness absent in their infancy.

It began with sustained pressure and, inside three minutes, successive set-pieces prized open a goal through an error by Victory goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas. It was an appetiser of what was to come – a structured doggedness that made light work of the league's biggest club.

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There were glimpses of the affluence and arrogance the club strives to reflect, provided by none other than their greatest son Alex Brosque. A cracking half-volley minutes before the break sent the stadium into raptures, before leaving thousands pondering if the veteran striker has decided to retire one season too soon.

However, this wasn't a night for pure aesthetics – least not in the conventional sense. This was a show of resilience, discipline, pressure and enough of the latter proved to inflict far more damage than any spark of creativity.

On the stroke of half-time, Sydney eroded Melbourne's defence to the point of forcing yet another self-inflicted wound. In scrambling to deal with a Siem de Jong cross, Victory's Leigh Broxham headed into his own net to make it 3-0.

Of all the traits that have gradually become synonymous with Corica's Sydney FC, the most appropriate would be "considered". When striker Adam Le Fondre sensed no opportunity in the box, he thoughtfully won a penalty against a hapless Georg Neidermer, then the Englishman dutifully converted it.

It was a performance scant in the spectacular while abundant with class. Le Fondre showed just that when he made it 5-0 almost methodically in front of goal. By the time Milos Ninkovic made it six, the match looked like a cat toying with a dead mouse. Only a consolation goal for Ola Toivonen proved the Victory still had a pulse.

Over 14 years, Sydney FC's identity has taken a few twists and turns but one of the few constants has been the presence of Corica. His first year as head coach has made it clearer than ever that his club still has an obsession for "bling", but its desired source is now glistening trophies that are won rather than stars that are bought. And in seven days, they could have one more.