It was far from convincing, but the Matildas have taken a giant step towards Tokyo 2020.
With the clock ticking down, a sweet strike by Emily van Egmond in the 92nd minute helped Australia salvage a 1-all draw with China PR at Bankwest Stadium on Thursday night.
The result means Australia finishes top of Group B and will face a sudden-death playoff over two legs against Vietnam next month.
The Matildas needed just a draw to take first position, but it was far from a dour contest.
In a see-sawing battle, both teams had plenty of attacking chances. They combined for 34 shows on goal while Australia dominated 70 per cent of possession.
Caitlin Foord, 25, could be seen as a barometer for Australia in an eventful night for the Shellharbour talent.
Highlights included a beautiful long ball to a flying Hayley Raso in the 61st minute which nearly set up a goal. Then two minutes later, Foord was caught in two minds between shooting for goal and setting up teammate Sam Kerr.
Foord was also happy to drop back at times during the game and help out in defence.
However, the night was soured by a strong challenge with Chinese defender Li Ying early in the second half, which saw the Matilda receive a yellow card.
The moment summed up Australia's aggressive nature in the second half as they pressed hard for goal, which in turn opened up scoring chances for China.
Neither side gave an inch during the match, but China was particularly aggressive in the opening half.
It was noticeable that the Matildas were cramped for space a lot more than compared to their previous two games against Chinese Taipei and Thailand.
China had the best chance to take the lead in the 45th minute when Wang Shanshan's long range shot curved late and hit the woodwork.
Despite the best efforts of both teams, neither side was able to hit the scoreboard in the opening 85 minutes.
The game then appeared destined for break Aussie fans' hearts when China's Jilia Tang drilled home a goal in the 86th minute.
But the Australians continued to press hard and were rewarded when van Egmond found the back of the net to force a draw.