If the Matildas’ first match in Perth was blowing out the cobwebs, and the second was a merciless show of skill, then the third fit nicely somewhere in the middle. After two matches in four days, Tony Gustavsson’s side showed on Wednesday evening how fatigue can bring them down a notch or two.
The frustration of not being able to penetrate Taiwan’s defensive block was evident on Sam Kerr’s face as one after another of her attempts hit the goalkeeper or missed its mark. On the flip side there was one player who showed no sign of wearying – Mary Fowler shone from start to finish, eventually opening the scoring with a stunning long-range strike. Second-half goals from Kerr and Tameka Yallop sealed the deal for a 3-0 victory to round out the tournament.
