The Westfield Matildas have embarked on their AFC Women's Asian Cup campaign with a 2-nil win over a spirited Vietnam at the Chengdu Sports Center Stadium in Chengdu, China.
Leena Khamis popped up to score the first with a header following a curling cross from Kylie Ledbrook.
Ledbrook later guaranteed the result with a spot kick, calmly slotting her first ever goal for the Westfield Matildas after Tameka Butt was felled in the area.
An early shot from Sally Shipard set the tone for an evenly paced first half with both sides having a share of attacking opportunities – Australia maintaining the bulk of possession while Vietnam created a nervous tension in the Australian camp with a fast counter attacking style that troubled the Westfield Matildas.
Vietnam began the match in a typically defensive 4-4-1-1 formation but managed to make use of a fast and mobile midfield to create opportunities on the break.
An early scare came for the Westfield Matildas in the opening 10 minutes when Vietnam's Nguyet Thi Muon beat the offside trap and took an early shot that narrowly looped over both the head of Westfield Matildas goalkeeper Lydia Williams and the Australian goal.
Thea Slatyer, captaining her country for the first time, was solid in defense winning the majority of the aerial battles and maintaining a focused defensive unit for much of the match.
Vietnam were awarded a controversial free-kick on 11 minutes following a light bump from a Westfield Matildas defender which gave Vietnam a chance only for Chi to thump her shot over the top of Williams goal.
Ledbrook's range of passing caused Vietnam trouble in the first period.
Following some neat midfield interplay between Aivi Luik, starting her first match for the Westfield Matildas, and Ledbrook, Kyah Simon received the ball and cut inside her defender to hit a powerful shot that went just wide of the Vietnam goal.
On 28 minutes a curling ball into the area from Ledbrook found Sydney FC teammate Leena Khamis who managed to leap above her defender and nod the ball over the stranded Vietnam keeper Trinh for the first goal of the match.
Khamis was again in the action soon after when Karla Reuter whipped in a ball from the left but Khamis could not guide her header on target with the ball sailing just wide of the goal.
Vietnam's attacks continued sporadically throughout the first half much to the joy of the boisterous crowd at the Chengdu Sports Center Stadium but left little for Australian keeper Williams to contend with.
Australia came out from the break with more intensity and were awarded with a penalty early in the 51st minute after a run into the box by Tameka Butt was stopped illegally by a Vietnamese arm.
Ledbrook stepped up to take the resulting spot kick, expertly finishing to the left of Vietnam keeper Trinh putting Australia into a comfortable position in the 52nd minute.
Youngster Sam Kerr came on as a substitute soon after for defender Servet Uzunlar with a reshuffle at the back allowing Kerr to assume an attacking right-sided position.
Vietnam striker Thi Muon gave the Aussies another scare in the 60th minute when she broke through some desperate Australian defending on the edge of the 18-yard-box but her effort from inside the area flew just wide of Williams goal.
In the 64th minute 16-year-old Teigen Allen made her Westfield Matildas debut coming on for Lauren Colthorpe and made an immediate impact linking up well with Sam Kerr down the right side of Australia's attack.
Khamis won a corner following a good through ball from Sally Shipard with the resulting Ledbrook corner finding Shipard on the edge of the six-year-box but the born-again footballer could not direct her effort towards the target.
Australia kept the pressure up winning a string of corners with Sam Kerr showing up with a lofted effort that hit the cross bar after Vietnam failed to clear their area.
The final 20 minutes produced more end-to-end action with Australia holding on for a handy victory that sees them at the top of Group B prior to the impending match between Korea and China tonight.
"I'm satisfied with the win but thought we could have played better," said Westfield Matildas Head Coach Tom Sermanni.
"I think we've come to expect these tough games from teams like Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar and to come through with a victory is quite a positive for us.
Sermanni expects even tougher matches against the Korea Republic and China, one of the reasons for holding back some of his more experienced campaigners from this match.
"When we play in these tournaments it is very important to use the squad as a whole instead of just relying on the same starting 11.
"Both China and Korea will be very difficult to play against and to beat.
"There will be significant changes for the next game and we'll see where we are placed following that."