Australia's Socceroos edged New Zealand's All Whites 1-0 in a rare encounter between the trans-Tasman foes at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on September 22, the last game on home turf for Graham Arnold's side before the FIFA World Cup Finals in Qatar in two months' time. It was Danny Hay's charges who began the game brightly, carving out the game's first chance just 75 seconds into the contest. A Trent Sainsbury clearance was intercepted by Tim Payne, who strode forward before seeing his twenty-yarder smothered by Mat Ryan. Nine minutes later, the black-clad All Whites squandered a glorious chance to open the scoring. Oli Sail went downtown with a goal kick which captain Chris Wood flicked on into the stride of Andre de Jong, who got the better of Sainsbury but poked his shot on the stretch inches the wrong side of Ryan's left-hand upright from fifteen yards. Such chances are few and far between in matches at this level, and when they come, teams like the All Whites have to take them - they've now scored just once in five games against non-Oceania opposition since the start of 2022. Knowing they'd dodged a bullet, the Socceroos set about justifying the support of the 25,392-strong crowd - a disappointing turn-out for this rarest of fixtures, the first of two taking place on either side of the Tasman to mark a century of international football fixtures for both Australia and New Zealand. Martin Boyle, Aaron Mooy and Ajdin Hrustic combined neatly on the right on the quarter-hour, with the last-mentioned seeing his drive headed to safety by Nando Pijnaker. Two minutes later, Jackson Irvine stabbed a six-yarder past the post after Mooy's corner wasn't cleared by the visitors. Awer Mabil then galloped down the left before scything inside past two opponents and curling a twenty-five yarder past the far post as the Socceroos began to move through the gears, even though it was the All Whites who had looked the more lively side in the first twenty minutes, Elijah Just and Matt Garbett particularly so. The All Whites had also enjoyed opportunities via a couple of Joe Bell set-piece deliveries which didn't quite find their intended target, something which can't be said for the Australian tackles which led to them being awarded by poorly performed Japanese referee Ryuji Sato, who far too often kept his cards in his pocket when the rough-and-ready nature of the challenges merited far greater punishment than a mere free-kick. Halfway through the first half, Pijnaker directed a clearance straight to Hrustic, who surged into the penalty area, only to be shepherded out of play in splendid fashion by Michael Boxall, who looked like he'd never been away despite having not started an All Whites match for eleven months - he had a fine game. As did Garbett, whose driving 24th minute run from deep inside his own half ultimately saw Just being brought into play on the left flank. His cross-shot briefly deceived Ryan, who was anticipating a cross and had to quickly readjust his positioning to avoid being beaten at his near post. Liberato Cacace was combining neatly with Just and Garbett on the left flank, and it was the fullback who was next to threaten, his 26th minute shot being deflected to safety by Sainsbury, who was working overtime in the Socceroos rearguard as their Kiwi counterparts probed openings at every opportunity. Two minutes later, the home team threatened again, with Hrustic and Mabil rewarding the terrific run through the inside left channel by fullback Aziz Behich. His low cross screamed through the six-yard box towards Boyle on the far post, but Cacace's covering run prevented the striker from opening the scoring. The resulting Mooy corner was headed goalwards by Irvine, with Sainsbury tucking the ball home from point-blank range. But Australia's goal celebrations were cut short by referee Sato, who deemed that Irvine had pushed down on Pijnaker in order to reach the heady heights he did to head the ball towards the target. Replays showed, however, that Pijnaker had slipped over of his own accord, so the goal should have stood - where's VAR when you need it?! The Socceroos had just four more minutes to wait before breaking the deadlock. Boxall played the ball to Bell on halfway, but he was caught in possession by Irvine, who picked out Mabil on the left. Bell raced back to cover the winger, who jinked inside the midfielder before burying a twenty-five yarder

which bounced in front of the diving figure of Sail en route to finding the net inside his right-hand post. The All Whites looked to get back on level terms in fairly swift order. Wood worked a one-two with de Jong on the edge of the penalty area in the 36th minute, only to be thwarted by Sainsbury's tackle, but Garbett was following up, his stinging twenty-five yarder being parried then gathered by Ryan. The 'keeper was called upon again six minutes later, this time to deny Bell's steered twenty-yarder after Payne, Wood, de Jong and Dane Ingham had combined neatly on the right in the dying minutes of a half in which the visitors had matched their opponents in every department bar the one which ultimately decides the outcome of any contest, the scoreline. That remained the case throughout the second spell, despite the All Whites continuing to impress - they were the better footballing side throughout this contest, not a claim often made about New Zealand when Australia provide the opposition, as results over time tend to bear out. This result was misleading, however. Both defences were in fine fettle throughout the opening quarter-hour of the second spell, despite the best efforts of their attack-minded opposites. It wasn't until the 58th minute that either goal truly came under threat, and again it was Bell who directed a twenty-yarder straight at Ryan after Just, Wood and de Jong had combined well to create the opportunity. Two minutes later, Just played one through for Wood to pursue, with Sainsbury in close proximity. Ryan raced out of his area to clear the sphere, but was "rewarded" for his efforts by Wood clattering into the 'keeper, the All Whites captain having no chance to change direction, such was his momentum as he pursued the ball. Ryan was still feeling a bit ginger when Garbett went close with a thirty yard free-kick, awarded after Milos Degenek climbed all over Wood in his eagerness to win an aerial duel, then hauled the striker to the ground in his desperation to deny his opponent any chance of making further progress. Quite how referee Sato didn't even consider this double-foul worthy of a yellow card defies logic, particularly in light of the soft booking he'd afforded Boxall a few minutes prior. Shambolic officiating! Inconsistent, incompetent, intolerable. Back came the Socceroos, substitute Riley McGree going desperately close to doubling their advantage with a rasping twenty-yarder in the 69th minute after Degenek's cross-field ball to Boyle had created the opening. Three minutes later, Boyle volleyed over from twenty yards after a delightful headed interchange involving McGree and fellow substitute Jamie Maclaren, who was the first player in green and gold to draw a save from Sail when unleashing a rising drive in stoppage time, having worked a one-two with McGree. Prior to that incident, the All Whites 'keeper had careered well out of his penalty area to prevent Matthew Leckie from latching onto a clearance, to which the visitors responded through substitutes Marko Stamenic and Ben Waine had combined on the right, the latter's cross failing to reach its intended target, Callum McCowatt, due to the timely tackle executed by Nathaniel Atkinson. Five minutes from time, a McCowatt free-kick cannoned off the defensive wall and rebounded to Boyle, who buccaneered downfield before playing in Leckie. His shot sizzled past the diving figure of Sail, only to hit the far post and deny the Socceroos a two-goal win which would have truly flattered them. Even this 1-0 triumph is one they know was extremely hard-earned, and you can rest assured the All Whites will be eager to turn the tables at Eden Park on September 25, as they play their first international on home turf in nigh on five years, one which defensive lynchpin Winston Reid will mark by playing his final match for his country, an international career which deserves a sizable turnout to mark his retirement. Socceroos:     Ryan; Karacic (Atkinson, 70), Sainsbury, Degenek, Behich (King, 86); Mooy, Irvine (booked, 74) (Metcalfe, 86), Hrustic (McGree, 61); Boyle, Taggart (Maclaren, 66), Mabil (Leckie, 70) All Whites:     Sail; Payne (Tuiloma, 86), Boxall (booked, 62), Pijnaker; Ingham, Garbett, Bell (Stamenic, 65), Cacace (Wynne, 71); de Jong (Howieson, 71), Wood (McCowatt, 71), Just (Waine, 65) Referee:     Ryuji Sato (Japan)