A number of Barclays Women’s Super League stars were in action for Australia this afternoon as they defeated South Africa 4-1 in an international friendly at Kingsmeadow.
Arsenal’s Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord and Manchester City’s Mary Fowler and Hayley Raso all started the match while Aston Villa’s Emily Gielnik and Chelsea’s Sam Kerr were second half substitutes.
Australia started the match brightly and Raso was denied a certain goal in the fourth minute when Tiisetso Makhubela blocked her effort on the line.
The CommBank Matildas didn’t have to wait long for the opening goal and when Fowler’s header hit the post, Cortnee Vine tapped home the rebound. After getting off the mark, Vine soon added her second goal when she cleverly found the far corner of the South African net from a Foord cross.
Vine then somehow spurned the chance of a hat-trick when she sent her shot the wrong side of the post after getting on the end of a Catley cross.
Australia went into the break three goals to the good with Clare Polkinghorne thundering home a header from a corner kick.
The CommBank Matildas added a fourth goal soon after the interval when Foord found herself with space in the box and she picked out the far corner of the net. The Arsenal forward then had a flurry of further chances but she either failed to significantly test Regirl Ngobeni in the South African goal or she missed the target.
The chances continued to flow and substitute Courtney Nevin struck an effort at Ngobeni before the South African keeper superbly pushed a Katrina Gorry strike to safety.
South Africa didn’t look like scoring all afternoon but they netted a consolation three minutes from time then they broke upfield and Hildah Magaia lobbed Australian keeper Teagan Micah who was a long way from her goal.
Australia will now turn their attentions to another international friendly against Denmark in Viborg on Tuesday evening.
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