Australia opened their World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland on Thursday in front of 75,784 fans at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

Everton’s Courtney Brosnan played the full 90 minutes for Ireland, who were featuring in their first ever World Cup fixture.

They defended resolutely before a Steph Catley penalty gave the hosts a 1-0 lead early in the second half.

Blues’ midfielder Clare Wheeler was an unused substitute for Australia, who move to the top of Group B after their victory.

Ruled out of the game due to injury, the Matildas were without star player Sam Kerr, and they certainly started slowly without their all-time record goalscorer.

Australia saw most of the ball in the first half, recording 64% possession, however Ireland defended resiliently and managed to prevent the home side from creating any dangerous opportunities.

Brosnan in the Ireland goal had made just one save as the whistle for half-time arrived, comfortably stopping a long-range effort by midfielder Katrina Gorry.

Despite her inactivity, the Blues’ shot-stopper, along with the Ireland’s back five defensive line, had remained focused throughout the half, as the hosts displayed their dominance in possession.

Australia opened the scoring just seven minutes after the restart. Hayley Raso was brought down in the penalty area as Marissa Sheva tried to defend a long ball into the box.

Catley stepped up and emphatically fired the ball into the top-right corner. The home fans celebrated wildly, evidently relieved after a frustrating first half.

A nervy 40-odd minutes followed, with the Irish trying to fight their way back into the game, however Australia managed to hang on to their one-goal lead to earn a deserved victory on home soil.

Throughout the 90 minutes, the Matildas registered five more shots than their opponents, while boasting 63% possession.

Brosnan, who faced just two efforts on her goal, could do nothing about the Catley strike, and she, along with her teammates will be hoping to bounce back in their second game of the competiton.

Ireland’s next match sees them take on Canada on Wednesday at 1pm (BST), while Australia play Nigeria on Thursday at 11am (BST).