Hannah Wilkinsons second-half goal gave New Zealand a shock 1-0 win over former champions Norway at Eden Park on Thursday as the co-hosts claimed their first ever victory at a Womens World Cup.

The Football Ferns had failed to win a game at their five previous World Cup appearances but Wilkinson fired home from close range from Jacqui Hands pinpoint cross in the 48^thminute to give them the lead.

Norway, champions in 1995, were disappointing and disjointed and rarely looked as if they would get back on level terms.

Their best chance came from a right-footed shot from Tuva Hansen, which ricocheted off the crossbar in the 81^stminute.

New Zealands Ria Percival had the chance to put the game out of reach but her penalty in the 90^thminute hit the crossbar.

Norway threw players forward in search of an equaliser but the stout Ferns defence held firm.

This is not what we had anticipated, said Norway captain Maren Mjelde. We woke up the last 25 minutes but it was too late.

The crowd of 42 137 “ a record for a football match in New Zealand “ let out a deafening roar as the match came to an end, with coach Jitka Klimkova burying her face in her hands as her players celebrated.

The win put New Zealand on the right track toward their goal of getting out of the group stage of the tournament. They face debutants the Philippines on Tuesday in a match that had widely been seen as their best chance of winning in Group A.

In the second opening match, co-hosts Australia laboured initially in the absence of injured captain Sam Kerr but a second-half penalty from Steph Catley got them off to a solid start with a 1-0 win over Ireland in Group B on Thursday.

The news that striker Kerr had been ruled out by a calf injury stunned the record crowd of 75 784 as it filtered into Stadium Australia but Catley stepped up to take the captains armband and score the decisive goal in the 52^ndminute.

Ireland, cheered on by a noisy band of compatriots, made life difficult for the Australians with their compact defence and came close to forcing an equaliser during a period of sustained pressure late in the second half.

After a moments silence for the victims of the mornings shooting in Auckland, the game opened as had been expected with Ireland getting plenty of bodies behind the ball and challenging Australia to try to break them down.

The Matildas were successful in using their pace on the flanks to get behind the Irish defence but the massed ranks of green shirts managed to deal with the subsequent crosses into the box.

It was from the set piece that the hosts looked most likely to score and winger Hayley Raso had the first attempt on goal from a 28^thminute corner only to flash her header wide.

The second shot on goal came just before halftime but Katrina Gorrys long-range effort was easily gathered by Courtney Brosnan in the Ireland goal.

Australia came out with more intent after the break and the half was only seven minutes old when Kyra Cooney-Cross sent the ball looping into the box and Ireland forward Marissa Sheva shoved Raso to the ground.

Catley gave Brosnan no chance with the penalty, striking the ball with her left foot firmly into the top corner of the Ireland net.

The penalty appeared to ease the Australian nerves and Mary Fowler, who had replaced Kerr up front, almost immediately stormed forward and lashed a shot high over the bar.

Australia striker Caitlin Foord headed the ball across the face of goal in the 68^thminute but that presaged Irelands best period of the game as they launched wave after wave of attacks.

Megan Connolly came close with a freekick in stoppage time which whipped just over the angle of the post and crossbar to give the Australians in the crowd a mighty fright.

The Irish continued to pour forward in search of an equaliser and Katie McCabe forced Australia goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold into a save before Louise Quinn headed the ball just past the post in the dying seconds.

Australia, however, held on to make a winning start to a tournament in which they feel they can be genuine contenders after wins over England, Spain and France this year. (Pieced together from Reuters reports)