Australia through with a game to spare | Craig Stockdale/The Football Sack Australia through with a game to spare | Craig Stockdale/The Football Sack

Australia has qualified for the 2013 AFC U16 Girls Championships after a comfortable 5 - 0 win over Myanmar yesterday.

Sunny Franco continued her excellent goalscoring form with a double with Isobel Dalton, Jessica Waterhouse and Ayesha Kirby all contributing to the cause.

Vicki Linton opted to make only two changes to the starting lineup for the second game of the series with Aiona Schram replacing Chloe O’Brien in defence and Kally Lewis filling in for Caitlin Cantrill up front. The Australian structure remained unchanged but was confronted by a 5 4 1 from Myanmar – ten players crammed in the back half of the pitch designed to shut down the open attacking game displayed in Game 1 against Thailand .

After the usual salutations and National Anthems, both teams got down to business with the Australians quickly gaining control across the defensive line and with minimal marking by Myanmar, the Australian midfielders were in for a feast of the leather. In fact, at the end of the first 10 minutes Jessica Waterhouse had bruising on both feet from kicking the ball so many times without a contest.

Pushing forward, Jess Waterhouse slotted a lovely pass to Kally Lewis who made a dashing run up the wing crossing the ball back to the box only to see it result in a corner for Australia. At the 11 minute mark, another bomb from Jess Waterhouse found the elusive Tia Gavin who turned and propelled the kick a little too high and over the net.

The crowding of the defensive line by Myanmar was causing the Australians some frustration with their game plan and it forced the Aussies to continue to switch play across the pitch probing for that opening up front where the forwards could get some space and allow them to turn and shoot. With good possession play, Australia continued to probe and push for openings to bring forwards into play.

It was not until the 34th minute mark that Isobel Dalton had enough of current proceedings and personally took it upon herself to put Australia on the scoreboard. A well weighted kick from outside the box that sailed over the keepers head and crashed into the net. 1 nil to Australia.

The game was now squarely being played in one half of the pitch with the Australian defensive line pushing up and becoming unmarked midfielders generating offensive plays and working the ball around looking for an opening. Waterhouse was getting tired of the ball being passed to her so at the 40 minute mark she decided to stream through the middle cutting a path to the top of the box where she unleashed a left foot shot that was truly amazing – she buried the kick in the top left hand corner. The Myanmar keeper did not move but the Aussies did move - to a 2 nil lead.

Myanmar’s defensive tactic was not working and the midfielders, who were now taking pot shots at every opportunity, were dominating possession. Both defensive wingers Potter and Schram were driving the ball into the forward line repeatedly and at the 45th minute, Kally Lewis ran onto a pass which was deep in the right hand side of the box and with a superb athletic effort, managed to cross the ball back to the top of the box where Sunny Franco was waiting to head the ball squarely into the top left hand corner of the net. It was 3 nil and the whistle sounded to end a very successful half for the Australians.

After the half time briefing from Linton, the unchanged Australian line up came back onto the field with a renewed sense of purpose to attack Myanmar and physically impose themselves on the match putting it beyond doubt. And to lead proceedings we had Lewis from Newcastle at 47 minutes, tackle strongly from which we saw the first of many Myanmar players face down in the turf and subsequently stretchered off the pitch.

Palozzi with fresh legs darted around the forward line like a bumble bee stinging the Myanmar defenders while Goad was leading the defense a merry dance up the left wing on her svelt left foot. Crosses from Goad and Lewis provided Palozzi and Franco with several opportunities only to be thwarted by the cross bar and the Myanmar keeper.

The Myanmar midfield chip a ball to a running forward who has the best chance of the game to score only to see Tilley Potter come to the rescue and spoil any ideas Myanmar may have had.

A great run up the left wing by Goad sees her cross the ball back to the top of the box where Palozzi again tackles strongly only to see her shot repelled by the reserve keeper.

Again, Goad made her presence felt with a deft piece of work up the left wing and a cross back to Ayesha Kirby who crashes the cross bar with her kick and the ball rebounds off the Myanmar keeper and back into the Australian goal.

Lewis and Goad are now peppering the top of the box with some solid crosses and sure enough, it was not long before Franco pops up on the end of a Lewis cross that hits the back of the net and Australia cruise now to a 5 nil lead. The whistle sounds after a 6 minute extension for lost time from the many casualties during the half.

Australia now have Saturday to recover in time to face off against host nation Philippines on November the 9th who are yet to register a win under lights at Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Australia 5 (Dalton 35', Waterhouse 40', Franco 45 +1/89, Kirby 79')

Myanmar 0

Australia Line-up: GK. Teagan MICAH, 4. Brooke GOODRICH, 9. Isobel DALTON (8. Ayesha KIRBY 80'), 10. Sunny FRANCO, 13. Kally LEWIS, 14. Emily HENDERSON (20. Beatrice GOAD 50'), 15. Aiona SCHRAM, 16. Jessica WATERHOUSE (C), 17. Siena SENATORE, 26. Tia GAVIN (22. Tulia PaLOZZI 47'), 28. Matilda POTTER

Read Craig Stockdale's full, and colourful, report including pre game thoughts  on The Football Sack website