A moment of Mitch Duke magic has delivered Australia a 1-0 victory over Tunisia and the nation’s third triumph at the World Cup finals.
Duke’s stellar header in Saturday’s clash at Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar raises Australian hopes of advancing to the knockout phase for only the second time.
The Socceroos, after losing 4-1 to France in their cup opener, bank three precious points after Duke’s 23rd-minute goal against the Tunisians.
Another positive result against Denmark and the Australians could follow the feat of the fabled 2006 golden generation in progressing out of the group stage.
The win over Tunisia was Australia’s first in a dozen years, since downing Serbia in 2010. The Socceroos also saluted against Japan in 2006.
And the oft-maligned Duke became just the eighth Socceroo to score at the World Cup.
His goal came from a sizzling move, with Australia pinging the ball from goalkeeper Mat Ryan into the net in just 15 seconds.
Ryan short-passed to the influential Harry Souttar, whose laser-like delivery triggered the attack.
From inside his own box, Souttar found Duke just inside the halfway line and, with a canny side-heel, the forward played in Riley McGree.
McGree fed Craig Goodwin, charging along the left flank, and the Adelaide United man whacked a low ball which deflected off Tunisian defender Mohamed Drager and skimmed towards Duke.
The Socceroos striker belied the degree of difficulty to angle a glancing header into the net.
Tunisia, who had not conceded a goal to anyone bar Brazil in their previous 10 matches, twice gave Australia anxious moments before halftime.
A sliding Souttar blocked a Drager attempt in the 41st minute and, in added time, Tunisia’s captain Youssef Msakni shot just wide from close-range.
The Tunisians ramped up the pressure in the second half – though the Socceroos almost sealed the deal in the 71st minute when Mathew Leckie, sliding towards a near-empty net, narrowly failed to connect with a low Jamie Maclaren cross.
In the next minute, Socceroos captain and goalkeeper Mat Ryan was forced to make his first save – with his next coming just seconds later.
But the Tunisians failed to break the Australian defence and remain on one point from their draw against Denmark in their cup opener.
The Danes (one point) meet France (three points) at 3am AEDT on Sunday.
