Despite captain Sam Kerr starting on the bench, the Matildas delivered an utterly dominant performance to open their Olympics qualification campaign in style with a 7-0 defeat of Chinese Taipei.

Australia ran riot in the first half, Arsenal signing Caitlin Foord scoring a simple hat-trick to put the Matildas 4-0 up at the break.

Sam Kerr emerged off the bench and scored just three minutes later in the second stanza, while fullback Steph Catley, winger Hayley Raso, and fellow substitute Katrina Gorry each put their names on the scoresheet.

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Facing a Chinese Taipei side that upset Thailand 1-0 in their opening match, recent Arsenal signing Caitlin Foord proved it wasn’t just water raining down at Campbelltown Sports Stadium, banging home a hat-trick in just 38 minutes.

The Matildas were dominant from the start, with the midfield in particular showing their class in unlocking the visitors defensive-minded formation.

Foord struck first in the 10th minute, calmly sliding the ball past the Taipei keeper when she was played into the box by Kyah Simon.

The second goal was much the same, experienced Matildas midfielder Emily van Egmond threading the ball through delightfully with a no-look pass from the edge of the box. Foord danced around the keeper and poked home from six yards.

Left back Steph Catley scored just her third international goal just after the half-hour mark, her aggressive darting run behind the backline rewarded by a pinpoint Van Egmond pass.

Catley only just managed to beat the Chinese Taipei keeper to the ball and proceeded to chip neatly into the back of the net.

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But Foord wasn’t to be denied her second-ever hat-trick for the Matildas, with Emily van Egmond ghosting behind the defensive line and receiving a long aerial ball while unmarked.

Her first touch set up Foord for yet another relatively simple finish.

Van Egmond was substituted at half-time, while Kerr arrived off the bench in the 61st minute. By that stage, Hayley Raso had made it 5-0 with a zippy counter-attack. As four Matildas charged towards goal - facing just one defender and the keeper - Raso stepped around the keeper calmly and banged home.

Kerr scored just three minutes after arriving off the bench in the 61st minute, the Matildas continuing to create a host of chances - and Kerr was never going to miss from close range.

The chances kept flowing but the clinical finishing faded, at least until Katrina Gorry volleyed home from eight yards after the keeper deflected a cross in her direction.

Australia coach Ante Milicic was proud of his team’s ruthlessness in spite of Taiwan’s defensive intent.

“They went away from their usual set-up. With a 5-4-1 block, it’s easy to get frustrated,” Milicic said post-game.

“I was pleased that we went in at halftime with a good lead, but at the same time we didn’t stop. Second half we wanted to build on that, and we did. “So overall, very pleased.”

The Matildas now move top of Group A in the Asian qualifying region, needing to finish in the top two of the four-team group to earn an Olympics play-off. China won their opening match against Thailand 6-1 earlier on Friday, setting up a blockbuster and potentially decisive final match next Thursday.