Sam Kerr will also miss the second game of Group B against Nigeria because of a calf injury.
Steph Catley swept home a 52nd-minute penalty to end Ireland’s resistance and spark an eruption of joy from fans inside Stadium Australia.There was also no shortage of relief from the majority of the 75,784-strong crowd after the tournament co-hosts struggled to cope without the country’s all-time leading scorer Kerr, who will also miss the second game of Group B against Nigeria because of a calf injury.
Mary Fowler, who has Irish heritage, replaced Kerr in Australia’s attack, but while the Manchester City forward is a highly-rated prospect, the absence of the team’s iconic captain was clear. Despite the roars of encouragement from inside the stadium, the home team rarely looked like opening the scoring in the first half.
Referee Edina Alves pointed to the penalty spot and Catley converted by sending Ireland goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan the wrong way as she calmly finished with her left foot.
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