Australia 2 v Bahrain 0

Australia has proven too good for Bahrain with a 2-0 win at ANZ Stadium. Mile Sterjovski and David Carney scored second half goals to keep Australia at the top of the Group A table.

Full time - Australia 2-0

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There it is 2-0 win to Australia to maintain its place at the top of the table. Goals by Mile Sterjovski and David Carney.

91'+ Bahrain sub - Isa off - Abdulwahab on

89' YC - Wilkshire

Carney does well on the left to win a header, ball comes to Culina who hits a tremendous overhead kick that hits the post and bounces back out and Carney steals in to stab home.

88' Goal - Carney

86' Sterjovski is through, oh no the linesman has pulled him up for a foul, which is harsh. Certain goal is gone.

84' Aust sub - Holman off - Nick Carle on

83' Shot - Kewell - great ball from Grella to Kewell, comes inside but skews his shot all wrong

76' Shot - Kewell - Kewell flicks on North's header back in from corner.. its hit the post and stays out. In the ensuing scramble, ball comes out to Sterjovski and his shot is blocked on the goalline.

75' Shot - Carney - from narrow angle is parried by Sayed and ball out for corner.

73' Aust sub - Coyne off - Jade North on

71' Offside - McDonald after great flowing move by Australia.

69' YC - Aaish - for foul on Sterjovski.

Crowd - 39,540

64' Corner - Australia - great ball by Grella almost puts Sterjovski in on goal, but ball cleared away.

63' YC - Milligan

63' Aust sub - Jedinak off - Vince Grella on

61' Goal... no offside. Abdulla Marzooqi puts the ball in the back of the net, but he correctly ruled offside as Australia held their line well.

61' Foul - Wilkshire on Jaycee - just outside the penalty box.

That goal has opened up the game a little as Bahrain look for the point they need.

Carney plays a lovely ball over the top for Kewell, who crosses into the box. Bahrain's Aaish makes a hash of his clearance and Sterjovski was quick to pounce and he bounced his shot past Sayed.

55' Goooooooooooooooaal - Sterjovski

51' Corner - Bahrain - Milligan blocks a promising move away. Schwarzer takes corner, releases McDonald and with Holman breaking forward, McDonald tries to get him a difficult ball on his left foot, which he miscues badly.

Good positive start by Australia after the break.

49' Shot - Kewell from wide out, goes well wide of far post.

47' Foul Salmeen on McDonald

46' Corner - Australia. Quickly taken by Carney and Coyne's header is over the bar. What a start that would have been to the second half.

Scott McDonald's miss midway through the half is the main talking point from the first half. He had a great chance to break his goal drought, but his shot on the volley went over the bar.

The second half is just about get underway.

Half time 0-0.

46'+ Shot - Wilkshire - 25 metre fk - curls around the wall, but Sayed gets down well to save.

45' Shot - Isa great effort from 15 yard angled drive that just skims the crossbar.

44' Ball played into box and Aaish is challenged by Wilkshire and goes down fairly threatrically, but instead of winning a penalty only wins a corner.

40' Foul - Wilkshire on Isa. Isa has to go off on the stretcher.

38' Shot - Sterjovski - good play down left, Carney overlaps Kewell, who plays him down the line and his cross finds Sterjovski, who gets his header on goal but straight at Sayed.

34' YC - Jedinak - Isa turns Jedinak brilliantly near the edge of the box and forces the foul by Jedinak.

29' Corner is played in with pace and again it causes problems and Australia just manages to clear danger.

29' Shot - Salmeen's headed flick on, bounces in front of Schwarzer, who spills it luckily only out for a corner.

26' Shot - McDonald - here's his chance to break his drought. Oh no; he's put it over the bar with only the keeper to beat after put through by Holman. Great chance.

25' Shot - Salmeen heads over the bar from the corner.

24' Corner - Bahrain

22' Shot - Holman - ball played by Kewell to corner of penalty box, but Holman slices shot wide.

21' Aust fk - on the right side of penalty box after foul on Sterjovski. Carney's cross is poor.

19' Corner - Australia after great build up on the right. Wilkshire's cross cleared away.

16' Coyne good ball into the box, Holman dummies his header for Kewell, whose shot is blocked away by Hubail.

13' Mohamed Hubail is through on goal after being played in behind Carney, but is ruled offside. That was close.

12' Bahrain fk wide on left, but cleared away by Culina.

12' Shot - Holman - gets a square ball from Kewell, turns and shoots from 20 metres, but straight to Sayed.

11' Foul by Holman - quick free almost has Jaycee free in box, Milligan again gets vital touch.

10' Cries of handball by Sterjovski and crowd as his cross is blocked. Replays show it was a clear handball.

8' Dangerous ball into the peanlty box by Bahrain; Schwarzer hesitates but is saved by Milligan, who is subsequently fouled by Jaycee.

7' Free kick - Mahmood smashes ball into the wall.

6' Foul by Jedinak on Isa in dangerous position.

5' Carney plays long ball for Holman but goes out for a goal kick.

4' Milligan is courageous to go in for a header with Jaycee John and wins it nicely.

2' Corner - Australia - cross claimed by Bahrain keeper Sayed.

The anthems have been sung and we are just minutes from getting underway in this important encounter from Bahrain's perspective. They need one point to basically guarantee third spot and a place in the play-offs with the third place team from Group B.

Team News

Mark Schwarzer has won the captaincy in Lucas Neill's absence. Chris Coyne has pulled up okay after training and will start again in central defence alongside Mark Milligan, who comes in for Neill. Grella will start on the bench with Mile Jedinak coming in alongside Jason Culina who is back to his favoured midfield role. Luke Wilkshire is at right back and David Carney replaces the injured Scott Chipperfield at left back. Tim Cahill has not recovered from his knocks with Brett Holman coming in for him and Mile Sterjovski replaces Mark Bresciano. Scott McDonald replaces Josh Kennedy up front.

Australian line-up: Mark Schwarzer (gk) (c); Luke Wilkshire, Mark Milligan, Chris Coyne, David Carney, Jason Culina, Mile Jedinak, Mile Sterjovski, Brett Holman, Harry Kewell, Scott McDonald Subs from: Michael Petkovic (gk), Jade North, Shane Steffanutto, Vince Grella, Jacob Burns, Nick Carle, Bruce Djite

Bahrain line-up: Sayed Jaafar (gk), Abdulla Omar, Abdulla Marzooq, Mohamed Hubail, Jaycee Okwunwanne, Mohamed Salmeen (c), Faouzi Aaish,Mahmood Abdulrahman, Salman Isa, Abdulla Ismaeel Omar, Husain Mohamed Subs from: Ahmed Hassan, Abdulla Aldakeel, Dawood, Sayed Ali, Ismaeel Latif, Abdulwahab, Abbas Khamis (gk)

Referee: Al Hilali Abdullah Mohamed Masoud (Oman)