Tara Rushton and Grace Gill describe tonight as the “icing on the cake” on the coverage, former Matilda Gill praising the side for being able to break down Taiwan’s low block and emphasising the importance of the growth in performances that has been on show across the last three games.
Men at Work’s legendary ode Down Under rings out as the Matildas get the job done.
Gustavsson’s side has taken three wins from three in Perth, with 13 goals scored with none conceded and progression to the next phase of Olympic qualification confirmed.
Thumbs up.
90+5 Mins: Some shirts are off in the Perth Oval stands as the punters celebrate early. I thought that was Wellington Phoenix supporter’s gimmick?
90+5: Getting in on the action, Grant gets down the right and sends in cross that drifts into the side netting.
90+4: Ahhh! First Cooney-Cross tries from range and can’t hit paydirt. Then Fowler winds up from a similar position and fires wide.
90+3 Mins: Foord just won’t stop running. Every Matildas attack at this point feels like it’s being run through her position on the left flank, with the winger sending in repeated crosses that are scrambled away.
90+1 Mins: There will be five minutes of added time.
90 Mins: Ssu-Yu again gets clattered, this time by Sayer, as she grabs a Foord cross. Maybe if this football thing doesn’t work out the Eagles or Dockers could give her a call, she looks very strong in a pack.
89 Mins: An attempted foray forward by Taiwan is snuffed out by Fowler, with the resulting Matildas attack bogging down as the defence gets back into their shape.
87 Mins: Yallop is seeking a brace but her effort goes wide.
87 Mins: Confirmation coming through from Football Australia that Mary Fowlers has been named player of the match. Yeah, fair enough.
86 Mins: Ssu-Yu is back to her feet, getting a drink and will be good to continue. Like Iranian keeper Zahra Khajavi in the opening game of this round of qualification, you have to give her significant credit for a brave display.
85 Mins: Sayer floats a ball to the top of the six-yard-box with Yallop the intended target. Ssu-Yu comes out to claim it bravely and is cleaned up (non maliciously) for her trouble.
82 Mins: Li-ping and Chi head to the bench, replaced by Chang Chi-lan and Chin-wen Chen.
81 Mins: Space and gaps are opening up in the Taiwanese defence as the Matildas get forward again but they’re able to gather themselves and scramble it clear before winning a rare throw-in in their opponents half.
80 Mins: Foord again threatens to get into space down the left but is denied by the offside flag.
79 Mins: It’s a pretty illustrious list of Matildas milestone goal scorers that Kerr has joined this evening.
78 Mins: Raso sends an effort into the side netting.
Moments later, Catley makes way for Nevin.
The Matildas have killed this game off, and the Taiwanese resistance looks broke.
Foord goes one way and then the other before sending in a shot that gets blocked. Reacting quickly, the Arsenal star uses the outside of her boot to poke the ball across the face of goal for Sayer, who in turn squares it for Yallop.
The Brisbane Roar star makes no mistake from close-range and makes it three.
74 Mins: The Matildas are still pressing hard for more goals and now down two, there’s a sense that the discipline is beginning to break down for a fatiguing Taiwan.
72 Mins: Yi-yun and Yu-hsuan head to the bench, replaced by Yi-wen Li and Pan Shin-yu.
Seconds later, the Matildas force a high turnover and Gorry advances to the top of the box with menace before thundering a shot in. Somehow, Ssu-Yu keeps it out. A fantastic save.
70 Mins: Foord again has some time on the left and drives inside, this time opting to shoot. It is deflected away for a corner, one that bounces off the back of Kennedy when it’s sent in and goes out for a goal kick.
It’s two! Are the floodgates opening?
Foord works a one-on-one on the left and sends a ball into the penalty area that bounces off the leg of Li-ping. Kerr reacts quickly and with all her strikers instincts to get their first and poke the ball home.
It’s a historic strike, the 900th goal scored in Matildas history, so really, it had to be Kerr, didn’t it?
66 Mins: A replay of Nathan Cleary celebrating Fowler’s goal comes on the coverage. Gossip obviously overrides Paramount not having the rights to show the Rugba Leeg.
64 Mins: In the aftermath of the goal, Raso makes way for budding bioethicist (see the pre-game chat) Sayer.
Fowler golazo! The Matildas absolutely needed something to break the game open and they got a moment of brilliance!
The young sensation collects a fabulous cross-field ball from Hunt and drives inside from the left to open the angle to lace a right-footed effort inside the far post. Ssu-Yu had absolutely no chance.
60 Mins: Taiwanese skipper Hsiang-huei makes way for substitute Bi-han Chan.
59 Mins: A quick switch of play gives Foord space to move into on the left. She drives into the box and tries to welly an effort inside the near post at a bit of an angle but Ssu-Yu has it covered.
58 Mins: Catley overlaps and is played into space on the left but her cutback to the near post has nobody arriving to meet it.
58 Mins: Australia work the ball around inside their foes area but Raso’s eventually volleyed effort from a Foord pass slices off her boot.
57 Mins: Taiwan get forward but loose the ball and then all of a sudden are left stretched! Grant drives to drive forward and take advantage but Li-ping slides in to snuff out those thoughts.
56 Mins: A ball is driven into the area and Ssu-Yu drops her attempt to claim. In her attempt to dive on it, she collects Raso’s leg.
The Real Madrid attacker looks ok to continue, though.
55 Mins: Gorry tries again from a long way out but it’s straight at Ssu-Yu.
54 Mins: Another ball in for Kerr, another desperate clearance. Taiwan are giving it everything in defence and just like Iran, you have to respect it.
54 Mins: Ssu-yu gets a warning for taking too long with the goal kick. Fans still haunted by the dark arts deployed by Iran last week feel a shudder.
53 Mins: Foord wriggles into some space on the right and tries to put the ball on Kerr’s head and it does get there – only to graze the top of it and go out for a goal kick.
52 Mins: Taiwan look like they’ll have a chance to transition but Yu-hsuan is quickly swarmed by Kennedy and Grant.
51 Mins: Gorry tries to curl an effort into the path of Foord’s run to the top of the six-yard-box but it’s claimed very strongly by Ssu-yu.
50 Mins: The Australians are moving to quickly win the ball back every time they lose it. Fowler sends in a cross that can’t find a teammate.
49 Mins: Another ball into the box for Kerr, this time by Kennedy, but it’s over her head.
48 Mins: That was a chance! Cooney-Cross floats a long ball over the top of the Taiwanese defence and into the path of Kerr but the skipper isn’t clean with her attempt to claim and the attack peters out.
47 Mins: A throw in is sent in Yu-hsuan’s direction and she does enough to win another one near the halfway line. That resulting effort, however, results in a turnover.
47 Mins: Catley sends in the Matildas ninth corner of the game but the low delivery is hoofed clear.
We are underway at Perth Oval for the second stanza.
