Matildas LIVE updates: Australia stroll to 4-0 win over Iran in Asian Cup

Joe Montemurro had declared little interest in the potential role of goal difference. He was, he said, solely focused on winning, because winning would be enough to top the Asian Cup group.

But let’s just be hypothetical for a moment and imagine the Matildas coach did value the importance of scoring more and conceding less, and take a look at the Group A standings after Thursday night’s 4-0 win over Iran.

South Korea and Australia sit on an equal six points leading into Sunday’s decisive third match in Sydney on Sunday. South Korea have a goal difference of six and Australia five, and it’s difficult not to wonder what might be had they scored just once more here to make it even.

A draw, then, might have sufficed to top Group A, instead of the win they will now need. But hey, Montemurro says they are focused on winning, and in three days we will learn where that focus could lead.

Thursday was a night punctuated by Iranian-Australian protesters praising US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Iran team singing the Islamic regime’s national anthem instead of the silent defiance displayed in their opener against South Korea.

But it was also the night Mary Fowler scored her first international goal since her ACL injury, Alanna Kennedy bagged a brace and Amy Sayer delivered one of the most beautiful cross-cum-shots you have ever seen.

Iran defended gallantly – as they did against South Korea – but gallant only gets you so far against a front three of Fowler, Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord, who were tricky enough and supplied cleverly enough to finish with 30 shots to one.

It must be mentioned that this was also an evening of Kerr’s offside shoulder, Foord’s offside something or other, and Australia’s almost penalty.

Still, the Matildas had put the game to bed before half-time, setting the scene for five changes and three days of recovery before the big one at Stadium Australia.

With Kerr, Foord and Fowler gone and Hayley Raso, Remy Siemsen and Holly McNamara on, the attack lost some bite and could not conjure a fifth goal even with 11 minutes of injury-time. Raso may have also lost consciousness: twice in short succession she copped a point-blank clearance kick from an Iranian player to the head, an unfortunate turn of events that will put her in serious doubt for Sunday’s clash.

Slippery would best describe the conditions of the pitch, slicked wet with the rain that hosed down Gold Coast Stadium and its 22,398 attendees during the early stages. It was sticky, too, and it suited Montemurro’s “messy” football well. Or, more accurately, the “controlled mess” he conducts.

There were signs of it in Fowler’s elegant movement to find Kerr, Foord’s quick-as-lightning tee-up of Emily van Egmond, and Ellie Carpenter’s constant looking for the lurking Kerr and almost first-half screamer – from the middle, if you don’t mind.

The first half brought 14 shots, six on target, and three goals, in a much-improved performance from Sunday’s rusty 1-0 outing against the Philippines.

Second-half substitute Fatemeh Pasandideh finally got Iran’s first shot away 45 minutes in, but misconnected and skewed it wide. And there her side’s tally remained.

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