Soccer: Injury time agony for All Whites

Australia pip the All Whites 2-1 in Melbourne with an injury-time winner. Photo / Getty Images

Brett Holman struck an injury-time winner to belatedly provide the World Cup sendoff Australia anticipated as the Socceroos pipped a gallant All Whites side 2-1 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tonight.

Holman poked the ball past Mark Paston with the last kick of an evenly-contested friendly laced with moments of controversy.

Until Holman -- a second half replacement for Everton star Tim Cahill -- guided home New Zealand were on the cusp of deflating the Socceroos' farewell at one of Australia's sporting citadels.

After falling behind to Chris Killen's sweetly taken 16th minute opener, the Socceroos needed a drastically altered formation and a 57th minute goal from Dario Vidosic to diminish the possibility of a first loss to New Zealand on home soil since 1998.

Holman's rescue act was a bitter disappointment for New Zealand who played above their status as the world's 78th-ranked side and $11 outsiders.

But there was an air of inevitability about Australia's fightback as New Zealand slipped into defensive mode.

Both sides intermingled when getting their bearings 90 minutes before kick-off, but the match eventually turned spiteful when All Whites midfielder Leo Bertos was levelled by two crude challenges in quick succession that threatened to jeopardise his World Cup campaign.

Combative midfielder Vince Grella -- who took umbrage at Rory Fallon's pre-match vow that New Zealand would not take a backward step and injuries were possible -- was the first culprit when his two-footed lunge had Bertos writhing in the 27th minute.

Grella, who described Fallon's attitude as ``unprofessional', was fortunate to escape with a yellow card. Bertos had barely recovered before Cahill clattered into his right leg, sending the midfielder airborne two minutes later.

American referee Ricardo Salazar -- who has brandished 28 red cards during the last two seasons of Major League Soccer (MLS) -- was again content to issue the Everton star a yellow as All Whites players surrounded their stricken teammate.

Bertos was stretchered off but fortunately was soon on his feet, limping gingerly to the dugout for treatment on his gashed right leg.

Salazar reprimanded Cahill, and then Socceroos captain Lucas Neill, compounding the home side's woes after they were rattled by Killen's poach.

Simon Elliott, without a club after being cut by San Jose at the end of the last MLS season, supplied the killer ball, sweeping it into the box where Shane Smeltz nodded on for Killen to thud past debutant goalkeeper Adam Federici at the near post.

Australian coach Pim Verbeek reacted to a lacklustre opening 45 minutes by making five alterations to remodel his attack.

Grella and Cahill were substituted to spare them from further trouble while Federici was replaced by Brad Jones, another of Mark Schwarzer's understudies.

Herbert was not as quick to ring the changes but also made maintained his attacking philosophy at halftime, replacing Tim Brown -- who landed awkwardly on a shoulder late in the first spell -- with Michael McGlinchey.

Andy Boyens and Tommy Smith were introduced in a bid to protect the 1-0 buffer while another defender, the uncapped Winston Reid, made a solid debut in unfortunate circumstances as the replacement for Bertos.

Jeremy Brockie came on for Smeltz in the 66th minute but could make little headway down the right flank.

After a languid beginning before a lower than anticipated crowd of 55,659 -- Wellington Phoenix midfielder Tim Brown drove the match's first genuine goalscoring opportunity wide in the 11th minute after a clever knock down by Fallon.

Killen provided the other anxious moment for a shoddy Socceroos in the first half when an acrobatic slice shaved the post in the 23rd minute.

Grella encapsulated the Socceroos' inability to breach the All Whites defensive structure a minute before the break when he tried an ambitious chip from 45-metres that passed harmlessly wide.

New Zealand were as ineffectual in the second spell, though Fallon's goalbound header in the 70th minute forced Jones into a reaction save.

The All Whites head to Europe tomorrow for two friendlies against Serbia in Austria on Saturday and then Slovenia in Maribor on June 4 before they fly to South Africa for a final warm-up match against Chile on June 9.

Australia 2 (Dario Vidosic, Brett Holman) New Zealand 1 (Chris Killen). Halftime: 0-1.

- NZPA