The Matildas have hauled themselves off the canvas to beat Canada 4-0 and reach the Women’s World Cup round of 16.
Hayley Raso scored a first-half brace to give Australia the upper hand with emerging star Mary Fowler adding a third in the 58th minute.
Hometown hero and stand-in captain Steph Catley buried a penalty in extra time to seal a famous victory in front of 27,706 fans at AAMI Park and top spot in Group B ahead of Nigeria on Monday night.
Australia had realistically needed to win to guarantee progression and with skipper Sam Kerr watching on from the bench, Raso finished off a blistering end-to-end move in the ninth minute to hand the Matildas the perfect start.
Fowler appeared to have made it 2-0 when she toe-poked home in the 37th minute but after a VAR check, Ellie Carpenter was ruled to have been in an offside position.
Australia quickly shook it off and two minutes later, Canada failed to deal with a corner and Raso bundled home her second.
Caitlin Foord teed up Fowler for Australia’s third and when a VAR review showed Jessie Fleming had fouled Katrina Gorry inside the 18-yard box, Catley coolly stepped up to bury the spot-kick.
AAMI Park exploded from there and Kerr was able to keep her substitute bib on and rest her troubled calf.
-AAP
