Young Matildas edge out Myanmar

The Young Matildas have ended their AFC U/19 Women’s Qualifying campaign on a happy note, with a 2-1 win over Myanmar.

The Young Matildas have ended their AFC U/19 Women-s Qualifying campaign on a happy note, with a 2-1 win over Myanmar.

Having already missed out on a place in the semi finals, following the dramatic loss to DPR Korea on Monday, the Young Matildas made hard work of the win, a match they should have won quite comfortably.

Having dominated for the first half an hour, Australia suddenly found themselves down a goal, following a quick counter-attack. However within the match was all even when Ashleigh Connor scored.

Kyah Simon put Australia in front early in the second half, but struggled to put the feisty Myanmar away with a third goal. In any case, Australia hung on for a deserved win.

Connor almost had Australia up 1-0 after six minutes, but her effort was blocked by the keeper. The attempts kept coming but alas no goals, with Elise Kellond-Knight striking the top of the crossbar with a solid shot in the 20th minute and Simon denied by the keeper from close range in the 25th minute.

But having dominated, it was Myanmar that scored first from its first meaningful attack, when they broke quickly down the left and despite being closed down the Myanmar striker got her shot away, which just beat the outstretched hands of Lydia Williams and rolled into the back of the net.

Still celebrating their goal, Myanmar was brought back to earth in a hurry, when from the restart the ball was worked upfield, when it eventually came to Connor who finished from 10 metres.

Australia started the second half strongly with Victoria Balomenos and Simon both having chances and the pressure told in the 54th minute when Simon smashed a low shot from the edge of the penalty box inside the left post.

The Young Matildas continued to control possession and the chances, but as was the case for most of the match, they were unable to make the most of them and kill the game off.

The win saw Australia finish third in it group behind DPR Korea and Japan, with DPR beating Japan 3-1 to claim top spot.

Match Details

Australia 2 (Ashleigh Connor 33-, Kyah Simon 54-) Myanmar 1 (32-)

Australian line-up: Lydia Williams (gk); Olivia Kennedy, Ellyse Perry, Elise Kellond-Knight (Renee Rollason 66-), Servet Uzunlar, Stacey Day, Ella Mastrantonio, Rachel Doyle, Kyah Simon, Ashleigh Connor (Jenna Kingsley 57-), Victoria Balomenos (Tameka Butt 77-) Subs Not Used: Caitlin Cooper, Lyndsay Glohe, Clare Polkinghorne, Teresa Polias, Grace Gill-McGrath, Casey Dumont (gk), Rachel Cooper (gk)

Cautions: Nil