The Westfield Matildas demonstrated their never-say-die spirit to come from behind to defeat Korea Republic 2-1 and finish third in the 2012 Olympic qualification tournament.
Two second-half goals sealed the match for the Westfield Matildas after they went a goal down to Korea Republic early in the first half.
Heather Garriock set up the first goal in the 63rd minute when she heeded a call from Head Coach Tom Sermanni to deliver a free kick to Servet Uzunlar. The goalkeeper could only parry Uzunlar's powerful long-range shot, which was on target to sneak just under the crossbar. Striker Lisa De Vanna, who'd entered the game just minutes before, chased down the rebounding ball and buried it in the back of the net.
With the scores level but the match a must-win for the Westfield Matildas to finish third, Sermanni opted for an all-out attack and Tameka Butt entered the fray. The speedy attacking combination of Butt, De Vanna, and Sarah Walsh quickly yielded results, with Butt getting on the end of a Garriock cross in the 76th to edge the Westfield Matildas ahead.
Korea Republic pushed for an equaliser in the final minutes of the match, but despite a few nervous moments, solid defence by Kim Carroll and goalkeeper Lydia Williams thwarted their attacks.
Sermanni commended the team on their gutsy performance.
"It was a very difficult and competitive match today," said Sermanni.
"I was very proud of the effort and the character our players showed to come back in the second half to win the game.
"When you consider we lost two of the first three games, the tournament could easily have gotten away from us and been a non-event.
"The way that we've come back demonstrates the character of this group of players."
Sermanni said he was proud of the team's strong finish to the tournament, particularly as the squad has been hampered by injuries.
"If you look at all the games in this tournament, I don't think a team has come from behind to win," continued Sermanni.
"At the last game in the Women's World Cup, we had a fully fit squad. This tournament, we've been the walking wounded with two players definitely ruled out and at least three more less than injury free, so we were really limited.
"I'm proud of how the players rallied. They left nothing on the pitch."
In the other concurrently played match, DPR Korea defeated Thailand 5-0 to finish second and qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. Japan will play China at 9pm AEST, having already booked their Olympic berth.
The top two teams will play in the 2012 London Olympics.