Australia defeats Ireland to win Women's World Cup opening game

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Rocked by the late withdrawal of Sam Kerr through injury, Australia took time to settle before getting off to a winning start at the Women's World Cup on Thursday by beating Ireland 1-0 in Sydney.

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.

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Australia players celebrate after Steph Catley scored the opening goal from the penalty spot during the Womens World Cup soccer match between Australia and Ireland at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, July 20, 2023.  (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Fans only learned of her absence about an hour before kick off, with the Chelsea striker sustaining the injury in practice on Wednesday. It is not certain she will be back to face Canada in the team's last Group B game in Melbourne on July 31, with medical staff having to assess her recovery.

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.

Kerr was considered one of the stars of the tournament and the face of the Matildas' bid to be crowned world champions for the first time. Without her leading the attack against Ireland, Australia appeared short of ideas or cutting edge.

Despite the roars of