Matildas star Alanna Kennedy suffers gruesome facial injury – and blows fans’ minds with split-second act

Matildas coach Tom Sermanni has predicted Alanna Kennedy will be unable to see out of her right eye after a sickening clash with a teammate on Monday night – but it’s what the star back did after the blow that has fans talking.

Kennedy was left with severe swelling after she collided with Tameka Yallop’s head in the 33rd minute of the win over South Korea in Newcastle, with play stopped for several minutes as they lay stricken on the ground.

Kennedy had extensive bruising and swelling around her right cheek, but both veterans finished the first half.

The 30-year-old then gave fans something to talk about online as she briefly checked the damage to her face on the stadium’s big screen – bringing back memories of when she went viral for doing the same thing as her nose was broken in a match against New Zealand.

Kennedy put vision of both incidents up on her Instagram and the footage of her checking out her cheek injury was soon all over social media, with one fan writing, ‘If I had a nickel for every time Alanna Kennedy broke a facial bone mid game and saw it on the screen I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice.’ 

‘OMFG this is iconic,’ another fan commented.

Coach Tom Sermanni (pictured with Kennedy) said the star would probably be unable to see out of her right eye – but the injury didn’t keep her off the field

‘Yallop’s OK. She’s obviously got a hard Queensland head,’ Sermanni said after the match.

‘And Alanna’s OK – she’s got a real sweller. She’ll probably have a shut eye tomorrow, but we don’t think she’s done any damage.’

The pair were eventually substituted in the 59th minute, replaced by Claire Hunt and Torpey.

Enjoying a move to the wing, Mary Fowler believes she’s only scratching the surface of her national team potential after helping the Matildas to a 2-0 win over South Korea in Newcastle.

After igniting Australia off the bench in Sydney last Friday, Fowler returned to the starting line-up at McDonald Jones Stadium and recaptured her dangerous best against the world No.19 outfit on Monday night.

The 22-year-old star outworked four South Korean defenders in the box to slot the 44th-minute opener before sparking Kaitlyn Torpey’s goal in front of a record 28,019-strong crowd.

Fowler had plucked the ball off Lim Seon-joo and crossed to substitute Caitlin Foord – cleared of suffering a nose fracture after a head clash in Friday’s match at Allianz Stadium – in the 63rd minute.

A dogged Foord was denied three times before Torpey tried her luck with the crumbs, her shot deflecting in off the foot of Lim Seon-joo.

Kennedy is pictured receiving treatment after her hard collision with teammate Tameka Yallop

Torpey was awarded the goal, while the South Korean No.6 was stretchered off after an awkward landing.

It was a move to the left wing – the same role at her club side Manchester City – that helped Fowler spark her side.

‘I really like playing there. I think I see a lot of the field from there and just a lot of different angles,’ she said.

‘I felt more comfortable. I felt like I could give more to the team there.

‘I want to try to be a bit more consistent with my performance in the national team so I think being out in that position made it a bit easier for me.

‘Hopefully that is a step for me, on an individual level, to keep going in that right direction.’

Tom Sermanni, whose future as Matildas caretaker boss remains unclear, could only praise the young star.

Mary Fowler was a standout for Australia, scoring a goal after being shifted to the wing

‘I thought tonight was the most involved I’ve seen her in the game since I’ve been the coach,’ Sermanni said.

‘You see how valuable a player she is when she actually gets on the ball.’

Teagan Micah worked diligently at the other end in injured No.1 goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold’s absence to claim back-to-back clean sheets.

South Korea almost hit the scoreboard when Ko Yoo-Jin’s header crossed the line in the 86th minute, but the debutant was found to be offside.

Hometown hero Emily van Egmond found the back of the net in the second minute but the goal was disallowed given Holly McNamara had fouled Lim Seon-joo in the lead up.

Van Egmond popped up again later to set up Fowler’s opener, with former Newcastle Jets midfielder Claire Wheeler and substitute Tash Prior also enjoying a homecoming.