FIFA Women's World Cup Finals co-hosts Australia delighted the lion's share of a 75,784-strong crowd at Stadium Australia on July 20 by beating Eire 1-0 in a bruising opening encounter on the opening night of the tournament. "The Matildas" made great in-roads down the right early on through the jet-heeled Ellie Carpenter and Hayley Raso, but the absence of the prolific Sam Kerr - she picked up a calf injury in the last training session before this match - from their forward line clearly hampered the home side. But there were already some willing tackles flying in, with Kyra Carusa and feisty captain Katie McCabe both getting early tastes of the turf following challenges from Alanna Kennedy and Raso respectively - the game-long duel between McCabe and Raso was worth the admission money alone; theirs was a no-holds-barred battle royal! Eire seemed content to soak up Australian pressure, much of which was engineered by Katrina-Lee Gorry, who was getting through a power of work in midfield in the early stages of the match. But it was the Irish who fashioned the first openings of note in this contest, Denise O'Sullivan catching Kyra Cooney-Cross in possession as she twisted and turned in the twentieth minute to spark a counter-attack which featured McCabe's left flank foray. The skipper's angled ball in behind the defence found Carusa arriving on cue, but so, too, was Kennedy, who crowded out the striker on this occasion. Seconds later, however, O'Sullivan was making life uncomfortable for the Australians again, this time hooking a delivery into the danger zone which Marissa Sheva was poised to head home until Carpenter rose to the occasion and averted the danger. In Kerr's absence, Steph Catley was sporting the armband for Australia, and the statuesque fullback's set-piece prowess was pivotal to the co-hosts finally threatening the Irish goal just shy of the half-hour mark. Her first corner was headed over the bar by Liverpool captain Niamh Fahey, while Raso headed the second delivery wide of the mark from six yards when scoring seemed easier. Back came Eire, Carusa catching Gorry in possession and stampeding downfield, only to lose her self-belief as she got within range of the "Matildas"' penalty area. Kennedy stepped in on this occasion, but the Irish kept pressing, O'Sullivan and Sheva particularly prominent, with the latter creating uncertainty in Mackenzie Arnold's mind with one cross in particular. Australia survived this passage of play, and enjoyed the upper hand in proceedings prior to the interval. Caitlin Foord's shot was blocked by Louise Quinn ten minutes before half-time, then she rattled the side-netting following Cortnee Vine's break down the left. Australia's number nine then drove between two opponents before unleashing a low skidding shot which was smothered by Courtney Brosnan, who produced the first save of the match six minutes before the interval. Brilliant defensive work by Fahey foiled Foord as half-time approached, with Cooney-Cross and Vine combining to create the opportunity, while the last chance of the half fell to Gorry, whose long-range effort was grabbed greedily by Brosnan. The second half saw "The Matildas" on the front foot early doors, with a neat 49th minute move featuring Catley, Cooney-Cross and Mary Fowler - a delightful first touch - paving the way for Vine to power past Fahey into the penalty area, only for the defender to come back and somehow end up as the meat in an Australian sandwich, a sight which prompted Brazilian referee Edina Alves to award a defensive free-kick. Two minutes later, Cooney-Cross played a ball into the area which Raso was pursuing until she was unceremoniously shoved from behind by the retreating figure of Sheva. Referee Alves unhesitatingly pointed to the penalty spot, from

where Catley sent Brosnan the wrong way to open the scoring in the 52nd minute. Straight from the kick-off, Australia regained possession, Fowler storming downfield, only to send a shot sailing into the crowd from eighteen yards. Eire responded by changing personnel, with Sheva in tears as she returned to the dug-out, her foul having given the co-hosts the advantage on the scoreboard. While the Irish were re-organising, "The Matildas" looked to turn the screw. Gorry caught Ruesha Littlejohn in possession eight yards out and promptly unleashed a drive which Louise Quinn blocked at the vital moment. Catley delivered the resulting corner to the near post which Foord met with a flicked header which sent the sphere flashing across the face of goal. As the game entered the final twenty minutes, the Irish started to turn the screw. McCabe's wickedly delivered 71st minute corner forced Arnold to rise between Carusa and Fahey to paw the ball to safety, while Australia's 'keeper punched away a Louise Quinn corner soon afterwards, only for O'Sullivan to attempt to send it back with interest. The ball sailed wildly over the bar. Irish penalty claims were rebuffed in the 77th minute, with Carusa and Heather Payne adamant that the ball had been handled by someone in a gold shirt, while Arnold grabbed a McCabe corner off the head of Louise Quinn soon afterwards. The by-now-nervous partisan crowd roared with relief when Foord raced down the right into the penalty area on the counter-attack in the 82nd minute, only for Fahey to foil Fowler's bid to turn home the resulting cross. Seconds later, Foord's shot on the turn from Carpenter's cross was blocked by Louise Quinn, with Fahey stepping in to prevent Cooney-Cross from capitalising on the rebound. After Raso parted Foord's hair with an angled cross, Eire came roaring back onto the attack, with the kitchen sink now in their arsenal as they threw everything at "The Matildas" in search of a late equaliser. Megan Connolly's free-kick from just outside the penalty area grazed the defensive wall and landed on the roof of the net, while her resulting corner was pawed out by Arnold from beneath the bar by the far post. Head clashes abounded soon after, Clare Hunt and Lucy Quinn both needing treatment after coming together in an aerial duel, while even the fearless Catley was briefly laid low by a blow to the bonce. But she was soon back on her feet to lead her team-mates through the remaining minutes, in which Eire twice more went close to levelling the scores. Payne sent substitute Abbie Larkin scampering through the inside right channel deep in stoppage time, from where she picked out McCabe ranging up inside her. Arnold scrambled her shot to safety, but the relief was only temporary, for McCabe was soon in possession again, this time delivering a cross which picked out Louise Quinn. She sent her header flashing past the far post, the last chance of an enthralling encounter from which Eire deserved more. "The Matildas"' relief was clear for all to see on the sound of the final whistle. They know they'll have to improve a great deal on this display, but the biggest key to their doing so is the resolution of Kerr's fitness problems - she's worth a goal start to Australia on home soil, and will be a big miss the longer this tournament goes on without her being available for selection. Australia:     Arnold; Carpenter, Hunt, Kennedy, Catley; Raso, Gorry, Cooney-Cross, Vine (Van Egmond, 75); Fowler (Polkinghorne, 84), Foord Eire:          Brosnan; Payne, Fahey, Louise Quinn, Connolly, McCabe; Farrelly (Larkin, 63), Littlejohn, O'Sullivan (booked, 41), Sheva (Lucy Quinn, 63); Carusa (Atkinson, 87) Referee:     Edina Alves (Brazil)