It was the only real clear-cut chance generated in the first 45 minutes by either team. England were slow and stodgy in their play,while the Matildas were very comfortable sitting back,letting English attacks fail,mopping up the crumbs and launching forward themselves.
They set up in the familiar 4-2-2-2 shape that proved so effective during the Cup of Nations,but with Foord out injured,it was Mary Fowler who played off Kerr as a shadow striker,while the wide players Hayley Raso and Yallop were more conservative in their positioning.
It worked well,but Yallop did not last until half-time,coming off just before the break with an apparent ankle injury to be replaced by Vine - the only real blemish in the opening stanza from an Australian perspective.
The second half was more of the same,as the Lionesses struggled to penetrate in attack. When they did,they were turned away by Mackenzie Arnold,who solidified her position as the Matildas’ clear first-choice goalkeeper with a string of impressive saves.
Australia’s advantage was doubled in the 67th minute through a rapid counterattack,which enabled Kerr to break quickly down the right flank - but when she looked up,she saw only one gold shirt in their attacking penalty area among three England defenders.
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Instead,Kerr waited for the late run of Grant,who broke into the box and met her skipper’s cross with a diving header,which bounced past Earps for her maiden international goal.
From there,the Aussies were home and hosed,although they had to deal with a late rally from the Lionesses as they searched in vain for a consolation strike - as well as the loss of Vine,who grabbed at her right calf before coming off with five minutes to go.
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