But captain Kendall Fletcher said United's 4-0 loss would only make them better beyond the halfway mark.

The Sky Blues kept United scoreless as they extended their lead on the W-League ladder with a sixth-straight win on Monday afternoon at Kogarah Oval.

Vicki Linton's outfit had no answer to Sydney's relentless attack, with the hosts dominant with 55 per cent of possession and 23 attempts on goal to United's seven.

Even Michelle Heyman, the golden boot leader, was kept quiet by Sydney's solid defence, which has only conceded one goal this season.

"We're obviously disappointed. We wanted to come out and put a good performance on the field," Fletcher said.

"We'll be disappointed with some of the goals that we let in but the thing I love about this group is we do it all together.

"There's a lot to learn from this but we're moving forward as we're still very much a team. It's a big disappointment tonight."

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Canberra controlled the early stages of the match as it held the ball comfortably with patient movement, but struggled to break through the Sky Blues' defence in the final third.

It was Sydney who drew blood via Mackenzie Hawkesby's boot in the 16th minute, following a foul conceded against Kendall Fletcher for a handball.

That was the difference at half-time, although Canberra survived three consecutive corners and a warning shot by Vine in the 37th minute that skimmed past the face of goal.

Vine's rapid runs down the right continued to cause havoc for Canberra in the second half, doubling the Sky Blues' lead with a 56^th-minute shot from close range.

It came after Siemsen was denied the chance to give the hosts an imposing two-goal lead when she smashed the ball home on the counter-attack, but the referees deemed it had not crossed the line.

A four-minute blitz saw the Sydney striker score a brace, leaving Canberra searching for an answer with less than half an hour remaining - but it never came.

Fletcher was disappointed by the loss but found a silver lining in that it exposed some of United's weaknesses, saying "we're not seeing this as a setback, it's something that can make us better".

"We can't give away two goals on set pieces, that's something we'll be frustrated with," Fletcher said.

"Giving up a goal in the first half isn't ideal, either. We have to put away some more chances.

"Credit to Sydney, they played well. They finished their chances and have a dangerous attack, we've got a lot to learn from this but I think it'll make us a better team."

Their next match comes against Adelaide United, who they beat 4-3 in round one, at Marsden Sports Complex on Sunday.

Canberra will be sweating on the fitness of Hayley Taylor-Young for the round-eight clash after she came off with a rolled ankle at half-time.

AT A GLANCE

W-League round seven: SYDNEY FC 4 (Hawkesby 16' Vine 46' Siemsen 72' 76') bt CANBERRA UNITED 0 at Kogarah Oval.