The perfect start for Australia! Co-hosts avoid Ireland scare as Steph Catley's penalty ensures Women's World Cup opening-night win despite Sam Kerr injury absence

• Catley penalty gives Australia opening night win
• Matildas had to face tough Ireland test without Kerr
• Game produced a new record crowd for the co-hosts

TELL ME MORE: One of the most significant events of the evening took place before a ball was kicked, with the news that talismanic forward Kerr would miss Australia's opening game - and the second fixture, too - due to a calf strain. With Ireland set to be tough to break down, the co-hosts' task was suddenly going to be much tougher.

With that prediction proving to be true, the Matildas' best chance of the first half came from a set piece, Hayley Raso heading Catley's corner just wide. Ireland, playing at their first ever Women's World Cup, were on the back foot for large parts of the game as Australia took control, but they had a few looks on the counter, some excellent tracking back from Katrina Gorry stopping a dangerous one after Katie McCabe tried to pick out Kyra Carusa.

But the nerves of a record-breaking crowd in Sydney's Olympic Park, the 75,784 in the stands a new best for the Matildas, were eased just a few minutes into the second half as Marissa Sheva was penalised for a foul on Raso in the box, with Catley stepping up to confidently convert from 12 yards out.

Mary Fowler's shot over the bar seconds after the restart and Caitlin Foord's flicked header were the best chances Australia got at adding to their lead, with Ireland instead growing into the game as it went on. Goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold was forced into action twice by McCabe while the Arsenal star also had a free-kick deflected narrowly over the bar, but Ireland couldn't fashion the chance needed to get back into the game as their hosts ran out 1-0 winners.

THE MVP: It was Catley's penalty that made the difference in the end and the full-back was one of Australia's stand-out players around the goal, too, with her set-piece deliveries consistently brilliant throughout the evening to help create some of the Matildas' best chances.

THE BIG LOSER: As the poster girl for her country's home World Cup, this was set to be a huge night for Kerr. That she had to experience it from the sidelines rather than while leading the line for her team will have been devastating, then, for both her and those who know what this would've meant to her.

MATCH IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? The next action for these two teams in Group B comes on July 26 when Ireland face Canada in Perth. Australia, meanwhile, play their second match the following day against Nigeria in Brisbane.

MATCH RATING (OUT OF FIVE): ⭐⭐