Matildas make it three from three as Mary Fowler breaks Taiwan resistance

Australia win 3-0 to ease into next Olympic qualifying roundSam Kerr and Tameka Yallop also on target in Perth

If the Matildas’ first match in Perth was blowing out the cobwebs, and the second was a merciless show of skill, then the third was a lesson in operating under fatigue. After two matches in four days, Tony Gustavsson’s side showed on Wednesday evening how tiredness can bring them down a notch or two. The frustration of not being able to penetrate Taiwan’s defensive block was evident on Sam Kerr’s face as one after another of her attempts hit the goalkeeper or missed its mark. On the flip side there was one player who showed no sign of wearying – Mary Fowler shone from start to finish, eventually opening the scoring with a stunning long-range strike. Second-half goals from Kerr and Tameka Yallop sealed the deal for a 3-0 victory to round out the tournament.

The first half was a far cry from the spectacular goal-fest at Optus Stadium a few days earlier when everything seemed to click in to place. The last time these two teams met was in a similar scenario for the second round of Olympic qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics – with the Matildas defeating Taiwan 7-0 that day. While the goals did not flow so easily, at least not at first, Australia has locked in its spot in the final round of qualifying early next year.