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Oman 1-2 Australia: Socceroos A Step Closer To Qatar 2011
Goals from Wilkshire and Emerton gave the ten-man Socceroos the unlikeliest - and most crucial - of victories in Muscat.
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Nov 14, 2009 3:55:20 PM
A ten-man Australia have scored a crucial 2-1 away win over Oman in Muscat in their Asian Cup Qualifier, keeping them at the top of their group with two games remaining.
Goals from Luke Wilkshire and Brett Emerton were enough to snatch a quite stunning victory for Pim Verbeek's men, who went a man and a goal down after just 17 minutes at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.
The Socceroos started brightly, Mark Bresciano forcing a sharp save from the typically alert Ali Al-Habsi at his near post, slipped into the box by lone striker Harry Kewell.
Bresciano’s next effort came closer still to breaking the deadlock, his curling free-kick taking a wicked deflection off the wall and flashing past Al-Habsi’s top right hand corner with the ‘keeper rooted to the spot.
That encouraging opening made the next meaningful passage of play all the more stunning as Oman took the lead on 17 minutes, with Australia reduced to ten men in the process.
The move began with Oman’s impressive no.99 Qasem Saeed down the right flank, the winger outpacing Australia captain Lucas Neill rather easily before crossing.
His low ball found striker Imad Al Hosni unmarked and a few yards out from goal, seemingly set to finish past Mark Schwarzer before being bundled over by the back-tracking Rhys Williams.
The Middlesbrough man was rightly shown a straight red card in only his third international match, with his goalkeeper saving the subsequent penalty from Khalifa Ayil before being rendered powerless as the same man tapped home a fortunate rebound.
One might have expected an Oman outfit who were hugely impressive in Melbourne last month to stretch their opponents and press home their numerical advantage but that wasn’t the case as Claude Le Roy’s side bizarrely went back into their shell.
Indeed, Al Habsi was forced to make an outstanding one-handed stop from a point blank header by Tim Cahill, the Everton man characteristically popping up in the area to re-divert Craig Moore’s header toward goal.
Saeed though was quick to remind the Socceroos of his lingering presence – and their own defensive frailty – in a scenario similar to the opener, his cross this time diverted away from a queue of onrushing players by the boot of Neill.
Al Hosni then saw a swerving effort from outside the area fly high and wide of Schwarzer’s goal before the hosts were forced to pay for sitting deep against their embattled opponents.
Luke Wilkshire proved the unlikeliest of heroes with his first goal in his 38th appearance in the green and gold, ghosting in at the far post to divert home an early Bresciano cross with his thigh.
Fawzi Bashir should have at least played a part in restoring Oman’s advantage moments later though, the midfielder – reported to have been injured ahead of the clash – electing to shoot at Schwarzer’s near-post, striking the woodwork with unmarked teammates awaiting service in the area.
The Gulf nation finally began to take a stranglehold on the game in the second half, the Socceroos forced into a succession of desperate blocks and Schwarzer called upon – as he so often has been during Australia’s embryonic Asian existence – to save his side.
Luke Wilkshire was similarly proving something of a hero, clearing a Mohammed Al-Sheiba header off the line on 58 minutes before Schwarzer saved from Al-Hosni when the striker seemed certain to score.
The Fulham man scooped away the Dhofar striker’s header, Al-Hosni having directed his effort straight at the ‘keeper despite arriving late and unmarked at the far post to meet another tempting Saeed cross.
Ismail Al-Ajmi was next to be denied by the imperious shot-stopper, Schwarzer this time producing a stunning reaction save to keep out the midfielder’s stabbed close-range effort on 70 minutes.
And whilst Schwarzer was typically taking centre-stage, his teammates were contributing invaluably at sporadic intervals despite their fatigue.
Particularly in defence there were heroic performances after a shaky start, Craig Moore with a match-saving block from Hashim Saleh 73 minutes in, Schwarzer unable to cover the dangerous Al-Hosni’s ball across the face of goal.
Oman were then reminded of Australia’s lingering attacking threat when a Scott Chipperfield header was cleared off the line on 77 minutes, before the Socceroos took a stunning lead five minutes later.
Credit must go to Verbeek’s men for having shown tremendous character to survive so long against a technically adept side despite being a man down but to have taken the lead and held on was indeed a minor miracle.
Brett Emerton it was with a stunning half-volley at the back post that squeezed in between Al Habsi and the woodwork, the Blackburn man largely anonymous in an attacking capacity but sweeping home substitute David Carney’s cross when it mattered most.
Still though there was time for Oman to fashion one last chance, Ayil missing the opportunity to double his tally and save a precious point for his side with an injury-time header that flashed wide of the right post.
The Socceroos managd to hold on to become the sole leaders in their group with two matches remaining on the road to Qatar 2011.
Oman 1 (Ayil 17’)
Australia 2 (Wilkshire 42’, Emerton 82’)
Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com
Get all the Australian football coverage you need on the Goal.com Australia homepage!
Goals from Luke Wilkshire and Brett Emerton were enough to snatch a quite stunning victory for Pim Verbeek's men, who went a man and a goal down after just 17 minutes at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.
The Socceroos started brightly, Mark Bresciano forcing a sharp save from the typically alert Ali Al-Habsi at his near post, slipped into the box by lone striker Harry Kewell.
Bresciano’s next effort came closer still to breaking the deadlock, his curling free-kick taking a wicked deflection off the wall and flashing past Al-Habsi’s top right hand corner with the ‘keeper rooted to the spot.
That encouraging opening made the next meaningful passage of play all the more stunning as Oman took the lead on 17 minutes, with Australia reduced to ten men in the process.
The move began with Oman’s impressive no.99 Qasem Saeed down the right flank, the winger outpacing Australia captain Lucas Neill rather easily before crossing.
His low ball found striker Imad Al Hosni unmarked and a few yards out from goal, seemingly set to finish past Mark Schwarzer before being bundled over by the back-tracking Rhys Williams.
The Middlesbrough man was rightly shown a straight red card in only his third international match, with his goalkeeper saving the subsequent penalty from Khalifa Ayil before being rendered powerless as the same man tapped home a fortunate rebound.
One might have expected an Oman outfit who were hugely impressive in Melbourne last month to stretch their opponents and press home their numerical advantage but that wasn’t the case as Claude Le Roy’s side bizarrely went back into their shell.
Indeed, Al Habsi was forced to make an outstanding one-handed stop from a point blank header by Tim Cahill, the Everton man characteristically popping up in the area to re-divert Craig Moore’s header toward goal.
Saeed though was quick to remind the Socceroos of his lingering presence – and their own defensive frailty – in a scenario similar to the opener, his cross this time diverted away from a queue of onrushing players by the boot of Neill.
Al Hosni then saw a swerving effort from outside the area fly high and wide of Schwarzer’s goal before the hosts were forced to pay for sitting deep against their embattled opponents.
Luke Wilkshire proved the unlikeliest of heroes with his first goal in his 38th appearance in the green and gold, ghosting in at the far post to divert home an early Bresciano cross with his thigh.
Fawzi Bashir should have at least played a part in restoring Oman’s advantage moments later though, the midfielder – reported to have been injured ahead of the clash – electing to shoot at Schwarzer’s near-post, striking the woodwork with unmarked teammates awaiting service in the area.
The Gulf nation finally began to take a stranglehold on the game in the second half, the Socceroos forced into a succession of desperate blocks and Schwarzer called upon – as he so often has been during Australia’s embryonic Asian existence – to save his side.
Luke Wilkshire was similarly proving something of a hero, clearing a Mohammed Al-Sheiba header off the line on 58 minutes before Schwarzer saved from Al-Hosni when the striker seemed certain to score.
The Fulham man scooped away the Dhofar striker’s header, Al-Hosni having directed his effort straight at the ‘keeper despite arriving late and unmarked at the far post to meet another tempting Saeed cross.
Ismail Al-Ajmi was next to be denied by the imperious shot-stopper, Schwarzer this time producing a stunning reaction save to keep out the midfielder’s stabbed close-range effort on 70 minutes.
And whilst Schwarzer was typically taking centre-stage, his teammates were contributing invaluably at sporadic intervals despite their fatigue.
Particularly in defence there were heroic performances after a shaky start, Craig Moore with a match-saving block from Hashim Saleh 73 minutes in, Schwarzer unable to cover the dangerous Al-Hosni’s ball across the face of goal.
Oman were then reminded of Australia’s lingering attacking threat when a Scott Chipperfield header was cleared off the line on 77 minutes, before the Socceroos took a stunning lead five minutes later.
Credit must go to Verbeek’s men for having shown tremendous character to survive so long against a technically adept side despite being a man down but to have taken the lead and held on was indeed a minor miracle.
Brett Emerton it was with a stunning half-volley at the back post that squeezed in between Al Habsi and the woodwork, the Blackburn man largely anonymous in an attacking capacity but sweeping home substitute David Carney’s cross when it mattered most.
Still though there was time for Oman to fashion one last chance, Ayil missing the opportunity to double his tally and save a precious point for his side with an injury-time header that flashed wide of the right post.
The Socceroos managd to hold on to become the sole leaders in their group with two matches remaining on the road to Qatar 2011.
Oman 1 (Ayil 17’)
Australia 2 (Wilkshire 42’, Emerton 82’)
Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com
Get all the Australian football coverage you need on the Goal.com Australia homepage!
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| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
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