June 20, 2001 SportsLine.com wire reports

WELLINGTON -- Australia moved a step closer to next year's World Cup finals when they beat New Zealand 2-0 in the first leg of the Oceania group final on Wednesday.

With the overall winners going on to face the fifth-placed South American team for a place in the finals, Australia's cause was helped by a goalkeeping howler eight minutes from time.

What should have been an easy clearance for New Zealand keeper Jason Batty went straight to Australia striker Brett Emerson, who calmly nodded the ball into an empty net.

It was Emerson's second goal of the game after he latched onto a Stan Lazaridis cross from the left, outpaced two New Zealand defenders and gave Batty no chance with his shot in the fifth minute.

Australian coach Frank Farina was satisfied with the victory.

"We started quite well but then looked to drop off after we got the goal. I'd give the team seven out of ten," Farina told reporters after the game.

The New Zealanders looked capable of taking a point from the game against an Australian team packed with European-based professionals until Batty's mistake.

And New Zealand coach Ken Dugdale refused to concede the second leg, which will be played in Sydney next Sunday.

"We were caught cold in the first five minutes, we didn't adjust to the pace and we got carved up on the right hand side," he said.

"But then we got back into the game. The second half I thought we were the better team."

"We did create chances, we didn't take them. But we proved that we're competitive, and shouldn't be afraid going to Australia and giving it a real go. We've got nothing to lose," Dugdale added.

The game threatened to live up to Farina's pre-match prediction of being "hot and heavy", as tempers frayed in the final ten minutes.

The referee dished out a red card to Australian substitute Danny Tiatto for a crude stud-first lunge at his Manchester City team mate and New Zealand striker Chris Killen.

A couple of minutes later, Killen was in trouble himself after a blatant body check and an apparent punch thrown at Tony Popovic.

Players from both teams jostled each other as the officials looked on powerless but Killen escaped with a yellow card.

Best Player

After his early goal, Feyenoord's Emerton continued to play freely down the right for Australia.

"The Dutch have gone record and said he's probably the best young player in Holland at the moment, said Farina of Emerton. "That's as big a rap as you can give the boy."

It was half an hour before New Zealand had a serious attack on the Australian goal, as Killen, then Vaughan Coveney bore down on goal only to have Vidmar and Murphy make crucial tackles.

Australia threatened three minutes before the break as Corica found himself unmarked on the right, but he too long to line up his shot and Aaron Lines managed to get across and block it.

The home side came out in the second half with renewed purpose, putting pressure on the Australians twice in the space of a minute as Chris Jackson, then Coveney forced saves from Mark Schwarzer.

Killen kept up the pressure, showing skill and speed to collect a cross, lose his marker and force a save from Schwarzer in the 72nd minute.

The Middlesborough goalkeeper was called on again five minutes later when substitute Noel Hickey unleashed a fierce shot that Schwarzer turned around the post.

"It'll go back down to Sydney and hopefully we'll play as well, perhaps a bit better, and get the result," Farina said.

R E L A T E D   L I N K S

Oceania World Cup Qualifying Standings World Cup 2002 Qualifying Results

T O P   N E W S