Australia’s Socceroos scored an expected 3-0 victory over a plucky and youthful New Zealand All Whites combination at Adelaide Oval on June 5, the 21,281-strong crowd braving a second half downpour to take in only the latest trans-tasman derby these age-old arch-rivals have contested in Adelaide. The injury- and absentee-hit All Whites - Ricki Herbert was denied the services of sixteen players for this game - had travelled direct from their clash with Mexico in Denver, Colorado, to the South Australian capital, but at no stage was any hint of tiredness apparent in their performance. Indeed, they traded blows with the Socceroos in a feisty opening stanza which saw some meaty challenges going in from both teams. But it was the Australians who fired the early shots in anger, both James Troisi and Brett Emerton going close with twenty yard drives which flew narrowly past the left-hand post of Glen Moss inside the first five minutes. Four minutes later, Australia took the lead via an unlikely source. Makeshift left-back Jeremy Brockie made a terrific fist of the role throughout the match, and may well have unwittingly solved one of Herbert’s problem positions with his performance - fullback is definitely an area where New Zealand’s options have been decidedly limited in recent times. Brockie acquitted himself well, despite contributing to the game’s only goal with a ninth minute back-pass. Moss was his chosen outlet, but the ‘keeper wanted far more time and touches on the ball than were available to him. His failure to clear first-time was pounced on by the closing figure of Josh Kennedy, who gleefully took the loose ball past the mortified goalkeeper and rolled it home into the gaping net beyond. Fifteen minutes later, you could sense Andy Boyens’ unease when he was forced to call on his ‘keeper to get himself out of a tight spot, with Kennedy and Brett Holman on his back. Moss proved well up to the task, however, racing out of his area to head the lobbed back-pass to safety. Four minutes prior, the All Whites had finally got some passes to stick in the attacking third of the field - their initial probing as an attacking force had been in vain, with poor quality final ball a common downfall. This time, however, Costa Barbarouses found Brockie barrelling down the left, and the overlapping fullback clipped in a cross which targeted the head of Chris Wood. Australian goalkeeper Nathan Coe had other ideas, however, and plucked the ball off the striker’s skull to stave off the threat. Australia piled on the pressure in search of a second goal around the half-hour mark, with Brockie and Michael Boxall making vital blocks or interceptions to frustrate the Socceroos - Holman and Emerton were the players most frustrated by their interventions, at a time when Boyens was receiving treatment on the sideline for an ankle injury which ultimately forced his premature departure from the fray at half-time. He was back on the field by the time the All Whites contrived their best opportunity of the first half, nine minutes before its conclusion. An untimely stumble on the slippery cricket block by Neil Kilkenny was pounced on by Michael McGlinchey, whose pass to Barbarouses saw him play in Shane Smeltz. Jon McKain foiled the striker on this occasion, but within seconds Brockie had regained possession for the visitors and forged his way into the penalty area. An exchange of passes with Wood allowed the fullback to loop the ball to the far post, where Smeltz was poised to pounce, only for Coe to swat the ball to safety. Australia counter-attacked via a raid which featured Emerton, Holman and Kennedy, and culminated in Troisi forcing a save from Moss, a denial matched by Coe three minutes before half-time as he smothered a curling effort from Barbarouses, seconds after Boxall had stepped in to tidy up following Kennedy’s poor touch, which failed to do justice to Troisi’s strong left-flank run and measured cross into the danger zone. The rain-soaked second half - it bucketed down at times - almost started sensationally. Wood was mere inches away with a stunning thirty yard volley which had Coe looking on in disbelief as the striker sought to level the scores fifteen seconds after the kick-off. It was the warning shot across the bows Australia needed to remind them that their Kiwi counterparts weren’t in wine-tasting country just to sample the local vintages. Cue a response led by two of the Socceroos’ half-time substitutes, Robbie Kruse and Rhys Williams, who set up a glorious chance for Kennedy, some eight yards out from goal. The scorer of the game’s only goal to this point should have doubled his and Australia’s tally, but blazed the ball wildly over the bar - a poor finish, but one for which he would make amends eleven minutes later.

Only after further blotting his copybook with a late lunge on New Zealand substitute Michael Fitzgerald which left the defender writhing in agony - how he got away without having his leg broken in this challenge … a video nasty if ever there was one!     There was another video nasty for New Zealand’s collection in the 58th minute - how not to defend at a corner. Substitute Dario Vidosic whipped in the set-piece, and Kennedy’s intelligent movement completely deceived the All Whites’ markers, affording the striker the chance to head home powerfully and unchallenged from eight yards - 2-0. The Australians threatened to run riot at this point, with Fitzgerald, Brockie and the rock-like Ben Sigmund all called upon to thwart threatening situations with timely blocks or interceptions. Then, nineteen minutes from time, Moss made a one-handed save at the feet of Kruse which saw the striker go down in the penalty area. Japanese referee Minoru Tojo wasn’t having a bar of any penalty claims.                                 New Zealand responded through substitute Marco Rojas, who rampaged down the left before working a one-two with Barbarouses which allowed the winger to cross for Killen. The striker’s first touch took an eternity to return to earth, and by the time he was executing his volley, McKain was on hand to block the effort to safety. Four minutes later, another All Whites substitute, the newly-bearded Aaron Clapham, saw his drive blocked cannon off a defender and spring an Australian counter-attack, led by Alex Brosque. Kennedy’s replacement stormed downfield and worked an opening with Troisi, only for Brosque to scurry back and mop up the danger like a defensive veteran, rather than a debutant in the role. Talking of debutants, the All Whites introduced goalkeeper Jake Gleeson to the fray thirteen minutes from time to gain his first taste of senior international football, his only save of note in a hectic finale to the game seeing him smother a stoppage time twenty-five yarder from Mike Milligan. Plenty happened between the ‘keeper’s introduction and his save, however. Rojas set up Smeltz with a great chance to pull a goal back in the 78th minute, but the striker’s touch was found wanting. Australia counter-attacked, and were denied a blatant penalty by referee Tojo as Boxall checked out Brosque’s collar size prior to the traditional swapping of shirts after the match, hauling the striker down in the process - punishment should have been forthcoming for the defender, so Boxall should be buying a Lotto ticket or two after this let-off! Seven minutes from time, some intricate play in and around the All Whites’ penalty area culminated in Vidosic whipping in a low cross which only needed a touch to increase Australia’s lead. None was forthcoming, unlike two minutes later, when a thunderous volley from Williams cannoned off the head of Sigmund to safety. The All Whites should have pulled a goal back in the 89th minute, no question. Rojas stormed down the right on a sixty yard run which left chasing Australians gasping in his slipstream. The speedster then linked with Barbarouses, whose angled pass into the inside-left channel for Smeltz to stride onto and smash home would have been perfect had it arrived in front of the striker, and not behind him. Australia failed to clear the danger adequately, for within seconds, Brockie was careering down the left, from where he fired in a cross which took a deflection off a defender and denied Clapham the opportunity to open his international goalscoring account. After Gleeson’s save from Milligan, Australia wrapped up the scoring with a stoppage time penalty. Troisi charged down the left and slipped a pass to Kruse, darting between defenders into the penalty area. A desperate lunge by Sigmund curtailed his progress and earned the All Whites’ captain - he had taken over the armband when Tim Brown left the fray with five minutes remaining - a yellow card. It also earned Troisi the opportunity to send Gleeson the wrong way from twelve yards, one he did not spurn to conclude the contest in a manner which delighted the natives, but not the travelling White Noise fans, who lived up to their nickname throughout the match, despite a slightly repetitive repertoire. Australia: Coe; Wilkshire (Williams, 46), McKain, Spiranovic, Zullo (McKay, 70); Emerton (Vidosic, 46), Kilkenny, Valeri (Milligan, 65), Troisi; Holman (Kruse, 46), Kennedy (booked, 51) (Brosque, 59) All Whites: Moss (Gleeson, 77); Sigmund (booked, 90), Boxall, Boyens (Fitzgerald, 46), Brockie (booked, 49); Barbarouses, Brown (Mulligan, 85), McGlinchey (Rojas, 55); Wood (Clapham, 63), Smeltz, Killen Referee: Minoru Tojo (Japan)