Match Report
Australia’s hopes of automatic qualification for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 ™ were dealt a blow after being held to a 2-2 draw Oman in Muscat on Wednesday morning (AEDT).
For the second match in a row the Socceroos had an early goal chalked off with the linesman’s flag denying Trent Sainsbury who had strayed offside before heading home Aaron Mooy’s free kick in the fifth minute.
Australia got their opener ten minutes later when Jamie Maclaren slammed home a penalty after Martin Boyle was brought down inside the area.
Boyle superbly brought down a Jackson Irvine through ball before drawing contact in the box allowing Maclaren to emphatically slam home his seventh goal of the qualifiers.
Tom Rogic went closest to adding to the scores in the opening stanza with his deflected strike from inside the area after a jinking run turned over the crossbar on the stroke of half time.
Oman levelled the scores in the 54th minute through Abdullah Fawaz, who found the back of the net with a well-struck effort from the edge of the area.
Aaron Mooy reinstated Australia’s lead in the 79th minute when he slammed home an effort from the top of the box.
Mooy netted his second goal of the qualifiers after Craig Goodwin’s initial cross was nodded into his path by knock downs from Martin Boyle and Mitch Duke.
