A disciplined Matilda’s backline clips the wings of the Nigerian Super Falcons

A disciplined Matilda’s backline clips the wings of the Nigerian Super Falcons

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A disciplined Australian defensive unit denied the African Champions in a World Cup match of Nigerian unpredictability and frustration yesterday morning .

The game started off as an intense affair with the Nigerians trying to overpower the Matildas utilising their strength and speed. But Australia weathered the early onslaught and pressed, not allowing the Africans to gain any attacking rhythm.

Even though the Super Falcons seemed to be winning most of the one-on-ones in the opening stages and the Matildas looked panicked into easy turnovers, when Alen Stajic’s team did put a string of passes together, they looked good.

Australia started to move the ball up the pitch with good combination play, that at times left the Nigerian back-line looking disorganised, but athleticism and good first defending spoiled the Australian attack.

The Matildas came close at the 26th minute mark after a delightful free kick from Elise Kellond-Knight found Samantha Kerr with only the keeper to beat, but she could not fully get her foot to it and the volley attempt went tantalisingly right of the post, past the motionless Nigerian keeper Precious Dede.

As the intensity of the match started to slow, the combination play of the Australians started to shine. When captain Lisa De Vanna picked up the ball at the 30 metre mark and dribbled past one defender and drew another, you knew that something special was about to happen.

That something special came in the form of Kyrah Simon, who made an angled run from right to left, to run into the space provided by the absent defender, receiving the ball from De Vanna and consequently chipping it over the committed Nigerian keeper.

After the goal, the Australians seemed to lose concentration for a moment and it seemed like the opposition were taking the ascendency, but against the run of play Caitlin Foord set up Simon centrally once again on the edge of the box, but she failed to shoot first time, allowing the defender to block the shot.

The ricochet landed at the feet of a waiting De Vanna to the left, but her consequential volley went wide of the post and once again the Nigerian defense were let off.

What these attempts did do was highlight the weaknesses in the Africans’ backline, and the Matildas seemed to gain confidence with each move forward.

Number one goalkeeper for Australia, Lydia Williams, was not really tested until a pass back put her under pressure from one of the Nigerian forwards, but she dived to the feet of the attacker to take control of the 50/50 ball.

In the second-half, the Nigerians came out with the vigour that they had displayed against Sweden and the Australians put themselves under pressure by not winning the second ball and giving away possession far too easily.

At the 66th minute a floating free kick from Emily van Egmond picked out Kerr free in front of the keeper, but once again she could not get foot to ball and the clincher went begging.

Even though the Nigerians seemed to have something left in the tank, the Matildas did a good job slowing the play and the defense looked like holding, until African star Asisat Oshoala came close to slotting one in at the far post, but she missed timed her run and the Matildas were let off of the hook.

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With time winding down, it was all the Nigerians and the ball very rarely left in the Matildas half until a throw in 10 metres from the Africans’ bi-line found substitute Tameka Butt, turning and crossing across the face of goal. The ball went through four defenders to find Kerr at the far corner, who chipped it in to an unmarked Simon to score once again in the 68th minute.

With time running out the Nigerians, spurred on by their coach, started to get frustrated and a cheap elbow to the face of Kerr off the ball stopped play much to the disgust of captain Lisa De Vanna who had timely words with the referee.

At 81 minutes the Australians could have gone another goal more up, but an unlucky Laura Allerway hit the crossbar off a well -timed near post run.

“It was a tough game; a tough battle out there in the heat. Both sides had plenty of good attacks and today we were the more clinical side,” said Australian coach Alen Stajcic.

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