Fifa Women’s World Cup: Kerr-less Australia limp past Ireland in unconvincing start to tournament
- Poster girl Sam Kerr ruled out of first 2 matches with calf injury that team kept secret
- Steph Catley’s second-half penalty enough to earn side 1-0 win on opening day of competition
Australia overcame the late loss to injury of poster girl Sam Kerr to make a victorious if unconvincing start to their Fifa Women’s World Cup campaign on Thursday, as Steph Catley’s second-half penalty earned the Matildas a 1-0 win over unfancied Ireland at Sydney’s Stadium Australia.
Catley fired high into the net in the 52nd minute after Hayley Raso had been upended as she darted into the penalty area to meet Kyra Cooney-Cross’ lofted centre to end stubborn Irish resistance.
It was a fortuitous victory after an uninspiring display by a home side missing their best player and one who has been heavily hyped as the face of the entire tournament.
Kerr had succumbed to a calf injury sustained in training the day before the opening game, the news kept secret by the Matildas’ captain and team officials as she completed her prematch media commitments a little more than 24 hours before kick-off.
The injury left Kerr in tears on the sidelines as the teams entered the field, the Chelsea forward heartbroken at her absence from a game four years in the making and watched by 75,784 fans, many wearing shirts with the 29-year-old’s name printed on the back.
In her place came Mary Fowler, the 20-year-old Manchester City attacker viewed as a future star within the Australian set up and who was last seen scoring the winner in last week’s 1-0 friendly win over France in Melbourne.
The gap between Fowler and Kerr, however, was apparent as the youngster proved incapable of affecting the game in the manner that would have been expected of her more experienced counterpart.
It was reflective of a home side that often laboured throughout proceedings, lacking the quality to turn their dominance of possession into anything tangible on the scoreboard from open play.
Australia’s early enthusiasm led to several overhit passes that prevented the hosts from unlocking the Irish defence, the adrenaline causing the eager Matildas to roll attempts from deep beyond their intended targets.
The Australians struggled to turn their command of the ball into anything resembling superiority, with Clare Hunt heading well wide before Caitlin Foord’s effort to cut through the Irish defence was halted.
Raso went closest in the first half to breaking the deadlock, the defender nodding Catley’s corner narrowly wide of Courtney Brosnan’s right post, while Foord could only hit the side-netting with her attempt 10 minutes before the break.
The Irish managed to frustrate the Tony Gustavvson-coached side, the determined pressing from captain Katie McCabe, Kyra Carusaa and Marissa Sheva ensuring the Matildas knew there was a possibility they would be punished should any complacency creep into their defence.
Despite that occasional Irish threat, it was the Australians who looked the more likely to find a way through to goal. Foord’s hesitation denied her an opportunity deep into first half injury time while seconds later Katrina Gorry could only find Brosnan’s hands from distance.
The opener finally came in the early exchanges after the interval. Cooney-Cross clipped her pass from distance into the area and Raso was bundled over in the box by Sheva, leaving Brazilian referee Edina Alve to eventually point to the spot.
Cately made no mistake, stroking her left-footed spot-kick into the top corner to give Brosnan no chance and secure the narrowest of wins for the Australians despite a late Irish flurry.
But Gustavvson will have to find a more convincing solution to Kerr’s absence in Australia’s next outing against Nigeria in Brisbane next Thursday if the co-hosts are to avoid going into their final game in Melbourne against Olympic champions Canada on July 31 needing a result.
