MATILDAS coach Tony Gustavsson breathed a huge sigh of relief after Australia triumphed 1-0 against Ireland in an enthralling Women’s World Cup opener, sending the 75,784-strong crowd at Stadium Australia into a frenzy.

To the surprise and confusion of the home crowd, the absence of captain Sam Kerr’s name from the starting lineup sent a Mexican wave of speculation rippling through the stadium.

Stepping into the spotlight, Steph Catley was given the captain’s armband and emulated Kerr’s goal-scoring prowess by confidently converting a second-half penalty that proved to be the decisive moment of the match.

Gustavsson was the happiest man in the stadium when the referee’s whistle finally sounded, marking the end of a tense final 15 minutes during which Ireland relentlessly pressed and almost snatched an equaliser.

The truth behind Kerr’s absence finally surfaced in the post-match press conference after sustaining a calf injury just 24 hours earlier in Brisbane.

However Gustavsson had deliberately kept the news under wraps until the official team sheet was announced an hour before kick-off.

The poker-faced coach was bombarded with questions post-match, stating that they wanted to keep Ireland guessing.

“I want to say I hope you respect and understand the reason when I sat here yesterday that I couldn’t speak openly about it, so I hope there’s an understanding of that,” Gustavsson said on Thursday night.

“At that point of time, we didn’t know 100 per cent what it was and we were waiting for a result of a scan.

“Last night (Wednesday) we had a meeting and that’s where I got the exact news of what it was.

“Sam is a massive part of Ireland’s game plan as you can understand, and we didn’t want to give that away in advance.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Kerr’s availability for the upcoming group matches against Nigeria and Canada, the Matildas proved that they were not solely reliant on their star striker.

With a valuable three points in the bag against a resolute Irish team, the Australian squad showcased its strength and depth against a well-drilled defence that will test Group B rivals Nigeria and Canada.

Ireland’s 5-4-1 formation denied the Matildas space to create opportunities, which is an obstacle their Group B opponents will face.

Group B promises to be a fiercely-contested battleground, aptly earning the nickname “the group of death”.

However, with a crucial three points on the board, the Matildas have set a strong foundation for the rest of their group stage campaign, even without their talismanic striker.

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By David Wigley