Asian Cup 2011: Australia 1-0 Bahrain: Mile Jedinak Books Socceroos Quarter-Final Date

Bahrain more than played their part early on, and built a nice chance when Abdullah Omar and Abdulla Baba Fatadi exchanged passed, with 15 getting to the bye-line to cross, but his centre was cut out by the Australian defence.

Tim Cahill wasted a half-chance on 18 minutes when he picked up the ball in acres of space, but when he eventually shot he could only drag his effort wide.

Bahrain could have had a quite special goal in the 28th minute when Fatadi chipped a shot pass up on his left foot and volleyed with his right, his effort going just wide of Mark Schwarzer’s left-hand post. Moments later they formed their best chance when Fatadi put in Ismaeel Abdullatif on the right, but the forward’s shot from a narrow angle came back off the near post.

Mahmood Mansoor had to be on his guard to block one Australia effort which resulted in him needing treatment, but he could do nothing about the Socceroos’ opening goal on 38 minutes. After taking one touch to control the bouncing ball, Mile Jedinak struck hard and low with his right foot from 25 yards, hits hot worming between two defenders and beating the dive of Mansoor on its way into the net.

Mile Jedinak | Added to his goal against South Korea with a crucial strike

Ismaeel Abdulatif forced a decent save out of Schwarzer early in the second half, but Australia should have doubled their lead soon after when, with the Bahrain defence stretched and Mansoor scrambling back towards his goal-line, Cahill couldn’t get set enough to send a headed effort on target.

Fatadi again stretched Schwarzer as Al-Ahmar tried everything they could to grab the two goals necessary to progress to the quarter-finals. A further chance fell to Abdulrahman, whose left-foot shot was blocked by the keeper, who then had his scrambling defence to thank as Fatadi’s follow-up was blocked.

As time began to run out on Bahrain, there were further efforts from Fatadi and substitute Abdulla Al-Dakeel, while Omar struck a 30-yard effort straight at Schwarzer after Jedinak had wasted a chance to double his tally at the other end.

Australia did enough to hold on though, and they will now play one of Iraq, North Korea and United Arab Emirates after South Korea fell one goal short of the four-goal victory they needed to supercede the Socceroos at the top of Group C. Bahrain bow out after finishing in third place with three points to their name from their victory over India.